Cisco Technology, Inc.

Arista Networks, Inc.

Jesper Skriver

Ijsbrand Wijnands

Gregory J Shepherd

Neale D R Ranns

Christian J Martin

Christian Cassar

Isidoros Kouvelas

Fabio Rodolfo Maino

Dino Farinacci

John Mullooly

Darrel Jay Lewis

Asang Kamalakar Dani

Gregg Schudel

Vijay Mahadevan

Joji Thomas Mekkattuparamban

Akshya Kumar Singh

Sharad Birmiwal

Ming Chi Chen

Vivek Datar

Neil Alasdair James Jarvis

Crispin Nicholas Dent-Young

Alan J Cheilek

Matthew James Collins

Joanne Mikkelson

Max Xiao

A networking system may facilitate Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) switchover between an active BGP process and a standby BGP process. A method is provided that includes using the active BGP process to establish a first communication session with a peer and a second communication session with the standby BGP process and using an active kernel associated with the active BGP process to receive a packet from the peer, to transmit the packet to the standby BGP process, and to receive the packet returning from the standby BGP process. The active kernel can optionally be used to determine whether any packets are in-flight to and from the standby BGP process.

Input state synchronization for Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) processes

A method for distributing an optimal path to a router using a route reflector, that includes obtaining, by the route reflector, a path location bitmask associated with the optimal path, obtaining a router location bitmask associated with the router, performing a bitwise AND operation on the path location bitmask and the router location bitmask to obtain a result bitmask, identifying a nonzero bit in the result bitmask, and in response to identifying the nonzero bit, sending the optimal path to the router.

Implementing border gateway protocol (BGP) optimal route reflection

Various systems and methods for performing bit indexed explicit replication (BIER) using multiprotocol label switching (MPLS). For example, one method involves receiving a packet that includes a MPLS label. The packet also includes a multicast forwarding entry. The method also involves determining, based on the value of the MPLS label, whether to use the multicast forwarding entry to forward the packet. The method further includes forwarding the packet.

Bit indexed explicit replication using multiprotocol label switching

Techniques for configuring a logical network switch in label-switched networks are provided. In some embodiments, a first network device in a label-switched network is configured with a network address. A second network device in the label-switched network is configured with the same network address. The first network device is configured to use a set of labels for a set of virtual local area networks (VLANs). The second network device is configured to use the same set of labels for the same set of VLANs. The configured first and second network devices appear as a logical network device from the perspective of other network devices in the label-switched network.

Configuring logical network devices for label-switched networks

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a first network device in a first virtual private network, a packet destined for a second network device in communication with a second virtual private network, and transmitting the packet over the second network, wherein the packet is encapsulated for transmittal on a tunnel extending from the first network device to the second network device. The first network device is in communication with a system operable to map and encapsulate the packet and provide an overlay that traverses over the second virtual private network. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Interconnecting virtual private networks

In one embodiment, a device receives a payload encapsulated in an Internet Protocol (IP) transport header having a time-to-live (TTL) value, and decapsulates the payload while maintaining the TTL value. In response to determining that a destination of the payload is not attached to the device, the device may then re-encapsulate the payload in a new IP transport header with a new TTL value that is less than the maintained TTL value, and transmits the re-encapsulated payload toward the destination. In this manner, loops in overlay networks may be prevented based on eventual expiration of the TTL value of the IP transport header, accordingly.

Breaking loops in overlay networks using an IP transport header

A method of constructing a forwarding database for a data communications network comprising a plurality of network components and supporting at least first and second topologies having one or more common network components is described. The forwarding database includes a plurality of entries providing forwarding information for data destined for a related network component. The method comprises the step, performed at a constructing network component, of deriving topology dependent forwarding information for data destined for a network component. The method further comprises the step of including the topology dependent forwarding information at the related forwarding database entry.

Method of constructing a forwarding database for a data communications network

In an example embodiment disclosed herein, Wide Area Network optimization modules coupled to peers are configured to maintain peer routing tables. The peer routing table (PRT) is used by the Wide Area Network optimization module to determine the peer for a given destination, such as an Internet Protocol 'IP' destination. Each peer is responsible for advertising to other peers which networks the peer is able to reach. This information is advertised when a tunnel is first created and subsequently whenever necessary. Initially, a peer sends out a list of entries corresponding to its directly connected networks, with the exception of the network connected to the interface on which the peer is advertising (e.g. the network used for the tunnel). This enables other peers on the network to populate their PRT entries.

Wide area network optimization proxy routing protocol

Growing community of inventors

Latsia, Cyprus

Jesper Skriver