Segment routing label switch paths in network functions virtualization communications networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016277290-A1
Application number	US-201514659220-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2015
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request to create a path through a network, wherein the path originates on a first network device and terminates on the second network device; identifying a first controller associated with the first network device, wherein the first controller proxies control plane functions for the first network device; identifying a second controller associated with the second network device, wherein the second controller proxies control plane functions for the second network device; and computing the path using the first controller as a source and the second controller as a destination. The first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and the second controller installs the computed path on the second network device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving a request to create a path through a network, wherein the path originates on a first network device and terminates on the second network device; identifying a first controller associated with the first network device, wherein the first controller proxies control plane functions for the first network device; Identifying a second controller associated with the second network device, wherein the second controller proxies control plane functions for the second network device; and computing the path using the first controller as a source and the second controller as a destination; wherein the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and the second controller installs the computed path on the second network device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computed path is a Segment Routed Label Switched Path (“SR LSP”) and the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and any other network device for which it proxies control plane functions by programming thereon Multi-Protocol Label Switching (“MPLS”) label forwarding entries for each known Internet Protocol (“IP”) prefix learned via Interior Gateway Protocol (“IGP”).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computed path is a Traffic Engineering Segment Routed Label Switched Path (“SR-TE LSP”) and the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device by programming thereon a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (“MPLS”) label forwarding entry for the computed path.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the MPLS label forwarding entry comprises a stack of labels.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first controller programs the MPLS label forwarding entry on all network devices for which the first controller proxies control plane functions and through which data may be forwarded on the SR-TE LSP.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request comprises a Path Computation Element Protocol (“PCEP”) request.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a network node connected to the first network device receives a resource reservation packet addressed to the first network device, the method further comprising:
identifying that the first controller is associated with the first network device; updating the received resource reservation packet to change an IP address included in the resource reservation packet from an IP address of the first network device to an IP address of the first controller; and forwarding the updated resource reservation packet to the first controller for processing.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining a tunnel between the first network device and the first controller; receiving by the first network device a resource reservation packet addressed to the first network device; and forwarding the received resource reservation packet from the first network device to the first controller for processing.

9 . One or more non-transitory tangible media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request to create a path through a network, wherein the path originates on a first network device and terminates on the second network device; identifying a first controller associated with the first network device, wherein the first controller proxies control plane functions for the first network device; Identifying a second controller associated with the second network device, wherein the second controller proxies control plane functions for the second network device; and computing the path using the first controller as a source and the second controller as a destination; wherein the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and the second controller installs the computed path on the second network device.

10 . The media of claim 9 , wherein the computed path is a Segment Routed Label Switched Path (“SR LSP”) and the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and any other network device for which it proxies control plane functions by programming thereon Multi-Protocol Label Switching (“MPLS”) label forwarding entries for each known Internet Protocol (“IP”) prefix learned via Interior Gateway Protocol (“IGP”).

11 . The media of claim 9 , wherein the computed path is a Traffic Engineering Segment Routed Label Switched Path (“SR-TE LSP”) and the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device by programming thereon a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (“MPLS”) label forwarding entry for the computed path.

12 . The media of claim 11 , wherein the first controller programs the MPLS label forwarding entry on all network devices for which the first controller proxies control plane functions and through which data may be forwarded on the SR-TE LSP.

13 . The media of claim 9 , wherein a network node connected to the first network device receives a resource reservation packet addressed to the first network device, the operations further comprising:
identifying that the first controller is associated with the first network device; updating the received resource reservation packet to change an IP address included in the resource reservation packet from an IP address of the first network device to an IP address of the first controller; and forwarding the updated resource reservation packet to the first controller for processing.

14 . The media of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
maintaining a tunnel between the first network device and the first controller; receiving by the first network device a resource reservation packet addressed to the first network device; and forwarding the received resource reservation packet from the first network device to the first controller for processing.

15 . An apparatus comprising:
a memory element configured to store data; and a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data; wherein the apparatus is configured to:
receive a request to create a path through a network, wherein the path originates on a first network device and terminates on the second network device;
identify a first controller associated with the first network device, wherein the first controller proxies control plane functions for the first network device;
identify a second controller associated with the second network device, wherein the second controller proxies control plane functions for the second network device; and
compute the path using the first controller as a source and the second controller as a destination;
wherein the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and the second controller installs the computed path on the second network device.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the computed path is a Segment Routed Label Switched Path (“SR LSP”) and the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and any other network device for which it proxies control plane functions by programming thereon Multi-Protocol Label Switching (“MPLS”) label forwarding entries for each known Internet Protocol (“IP”) prefix learned via Interior Gateway Protocol (“IGP”).

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the computed path is a Traffic Engineering Segment Routed Label Switched Path (“SR-TE LSP”) and the first controller installs the computed path on the first network device by programming thereon a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (“MPLS”) label forwarding entry for the compute

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sivabalan Muthurajah
• Boutros Sami
• Filsfils Clarence
• Fernando Rex Emmanuel
• Sharma Lakshmi
• Freitas Santiago Vazquez
• McDougall Bruce
• Fielding Robert Keith

Classifications

• H04L47/825

  Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS · CPC title

• H04L61/2007

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L45/50 Primary

  using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS] · CPC title

• H04L61/5007

  Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title