Nortel Networks Corporation

Rockstar Consortium US LP

Rpx Clearinghouse LLC

Rockstar Bidco, LP

Rpx Clearnghouse LLC

Rockstar Bideo LP

Dinesh Mohan

Paul Unbehagen

Hamid Ould Brahim

Srikanth Keesara

Marc Holness

Florin S Balus

Osama S Aboul-Magd

Maged E Beshai

David Allan

Sameh Rabie

Francois J Blouin

Nigel Lawrence Bragg

Gerald Smallegange

Michael Suiping Chen

Vasile Radoaca

Beata Mirek

A control protocol is run in the interconnect region between network domains so that the interconnect region may be managed using a separate control plane. According to an embodiment of the invention, a spanning tree protocol is used to establish a separate spanning tree within the interconnect region. To avoid loop formation within the interconnect region, links interconnecting adjacent edge nodes that are part of the interconnect region and which belong to a given domain are allowed to pass control frames but not data frames. OAM may be used detect link failure of a link between adjacent nodes on a given domain.

Method and apparatus for managing the interconnection between network domains

The two types of virtual local area networks (VLANs) may be defined: p-bits-Inferred-scheduling class VLAN (p-VLAN); and VLAN-10-Only-Inferred-scheduling class VLANs (v-VLAN). As such, upon receipt of an Ethernet frame, the type of VLAN associated with the Ethernet frame may be determined. The type of VLAN provides the receiving node with an indication of a method of determining a scheduling class. A p-VLAN supports multiple scheduling classes. For a p-VLAN, the scheduling class and drop precedence for the received Ethernet frame may be determined based on a 'service map' that describes the relationship between the p-bits and forwarding treatment. A v-VLAN supports a single scheduling class. As such, the scheduling class for a received Ethernet frame may be determined based on the VLAN-10 of the received Ethernet frame. The described VLAN QoS information may be configured or signaled across the network. Advantageously, the methods may be applied in connectionless, connection-oriented and path-oriented Ethernet networks.

VLAN support of differentiated services

Described are methods and communications network for carrying pseudowires over packet-switched network. A communication network includes a packet-switched network (PSN), a first provider edge (PE) device in communication with a second PE device through the PSN, and a pseudowire (PW) established between the PE devices for emulating a service across the PSN. The PW has a Virtual Circuit Connection Verification (VCCV) control channel that carries an Ethernet Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) message. In some embodiments, various data plane encapsulation formats enable a PW to emulate an Ethernet or a non-Ethernet service over an Ethernet PSN. Each encapsulation format includes an Ethernet tunnel header and a PW header that encapsulates an Ethernet or non-Ethernet payload.

Multi-protocol support over ethernet packet-switched networks

Frames of customer traffic may be encapsulated by adding Mac-in-Mac (MiM) encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over a portion of provider network. The MiM encapsulated traffic may be further encapsulated using VPLS by adding VPLS encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over another portion of the provider network. The MiM encapsulations use provider network_MAC addresses which enables VPLS MAC learning to occur using provider network MAC address space. MiM tunnels are mapped to VPLS service instances which are assigned pseudowire tags for transportation over the VPLS portion of provider network. The MiM header is retained when the MiM encapsulated frames are transported over the VPLS portion of the provider network. As VPLS frames exit the core network, the VPLS encapsulation fields are removed to extract the original MiM encapsulated frames for further transportation over the MiM portion of the provider network.

Method and apparatus for transporting Ethernet services

An OAM link trace message is sent from a source node to a target node in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network. The link trace message uses an 802.1ag format except, as a destination address, it uses either the unicast Ethernet MAC node ID of the target node or the multicast destination address of the service instance. Network topology verification in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network checks the link state protocol database at a node to ascertain the control plane topology view of at least part of the network. One or more Ethernet OAM commands from the node are executed to ascertain the data plane topology view of the same part of the network. The control plane topology view of the network is compared to the data plane topology view of the network to see if they match. An error is flagged if they do not match.

Continuity check management in a link state controlled ethernet network

Maintenance entities may be defined between customer and provider flow points to allow performance management to take place on an Ethernet network. The maintenance entities may be defined for access link, intra-domain, and inter-domain, and may be defined on a link or service basis. The maintenance entities may be used to monitor performance within a network or across networks, and may be used to monitor various performance parameters, such as frame loss, frame delay, frame delay variation, availability, errored frame seconds, service status, frame throughput, the number of frames transmitted, received or dropped, the status of a loopback interface, the amount of time a service has been unavailable, and many other parameters. Several management mechanisms may be used, and the measurements may be collected using a solicited collection method, in which a response is required and collected, or an unsolicited collection method in which a response is not required.

Ethernet OAM performance management

Ethernet OAM MEPs are automatically configured in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network. A node operating in the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network receives a Link State PDU (LSP) containing a TLV having a MEP associated with the Ethernet MAC node ID of a second node in the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, where the path between the first and second node includes a plurality of links. The node updates a forwarding table to indicate an association between the MEP ID and a Ethernet MAC node ID of the second node. An Ethernet OAM maintenance endpoint is produced in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network by hashing a Sys-ID to produce a MEP; storing the MEP in a TLV; and forwarding the TLV over the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network in an LSP.

Automatic MEP provisioning in a link state controlled ethernet network

Multi-protocol support over Ethernet packet-switched networks

Connectivity fault notification is provided by generating an alarm indication signal at a device that is logically adjacent to the fault, and forwarding the alarm indication signal upward through various levels to at least one client level entity. The alarm indication signal may be suppressed at any level for a service instance if service is restored at that level, or if a protection path prevents disruption of the service instance at that level, or auto-suppressed at an originating node based on number of times transmitted or elapsed time. The alarm indication signal may include a point of failure indicator such as the MAC address of the device that generates the alarm indication signal, or a failed resource identity such as an IEEE 802.1AB LLDP MAC Service Access Point ('MSAP'). Further, the alarm indication signal may be employed to trigger use of the protection path.

Connectivity fault notification

Frames of customer traffic may be encapsulated by adding Mac-in-Mac (MiM) encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over a portion of provider network. The MiM encapsulated traffic may be further encapsulated using VPLS by adding VPLS encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over another portion of the provider network. The MiM encapsulations use provider network MAC addresses which enables VPLS MAC learning to occur using provider network MAC address space. MiM tunnels are mapped to VPLS service instances which are assigned pseudowire tags for transportation over the VPLS portion of provider network. The MiM header is retained when the MiM encapsulated frames are transported over the VPLS portion of the provider network. As VPLS frames exit the core network, the VPLS encapsulation fields are removed to extract the original MiM encapsulated frames for further transportation over the MiM portion of the provider network.

Method and apparatus for transporting ethernet services

Maintenance entities may be defined between customer and provider flow points to allow performance management to take place on an Ethernet network. The maintenance entities may be defined for access link, intra-domain, and inter-domain, and may be defined on a link or service basis. Performance parameters, including availability metrics, may be collected for the maintenance entities. The provision of such availability metrics in an Ethernet based solution to facilitate consistency of service management and operations for carriers transitioning to the Ethernet solution.

Method and apparatus for providing availability metrics for measurement and managment of ethernet services

MPLS networks offering PW or VPLS services may be interconnected with Ethernet networks implemented according to 802.1or 802.1Qay. The MPLS network may be a core and offer services to the Ethernet access networks, or vise-versa. Additionally, a mixture of different types of access networks may be interconnected by an MPLS core or an Ethernet core. Both network interworking and service interworking are provided. OAM fault detection may be implemented via maintenance entities extending across the network or end to end depending on the combination of networks and services offered by the networks.

Method and apparatus for interworking ethernet and MPLS networks

The two types of virtual local area networks (VLANs) may be defined: p-bits-Inferred-scheduling class VLAN (p-VLAN); and VLAN-ID-Only-Inferred-scheduling class VLANs (v-VLAN). As such, upon receipt of an Ethernet frame, the type of VLAN associated with the Ethernet frame may be determined. The type of VLAN provides the receiving node with an indication of a method of determining a scheduling class. A p-VLAN supports multiple scheduling classes. For a p-VLAN, the scheduling class and drop precedence for the received Ethernet frame may be determined based on a 'service map' that describes the relationship between the p-bits and forwarding treatment. A v-VLAN supports a single scheduling class. As such, the scheduling class for a received Ethernet frame may be determined based on the VLAN-ID of the received Ethernet frame. The described VLAN QoS information may be configured or signaled across the network. Advantageously, the methods may be applied in connectionless, connection-oriented and path-oriented Ethernet networks.

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Kanata, Canada

Dinesh Mohan