Cisco Technology, Inc.

Simon Spraggs

Jean-Philippe Vasseur

Sami Boutros

James Neil Guichard

Muthurajah Sivabalan

George Swallow

Daniel C Tappan

In one embodiment, a source transmits one or more data packets to a destination over a primary pseudowire (PW). When a device on the primary PW detects a downstream failure of the primary PW, and in response to receiving one or more data packets from a source from the failed primary PW, the device adds a loopback packet identifier to the one or more received data packets, and returns the one or more data packets with the loopback packet identifier to the source upstream on the primary PW. Accordingly, in response to receiving the data packet returned with a loopback packet identifier from the primary PW (in response to the downstream failure), the source retransmits the one or more data packets to the destination over a backup PW.

Data-plane driven fast protection mechanism for MPLS pseudowire services

A system and method are provided for separately distributing edge-device labels and routing information across routing areas of a computer network. Because the edge-device labels are distributed separately from network routing information, the process of distributing the edge-device labels does not preclude conventional edge-device address summarizations. Illustratively, a novel 'label mapping' LSA is employed for distributing the edge-device labels across routing areas. The label-mapping LSA may be embodied as an area-scope OSPF opaque LSA (type 10) or an IS-IS LSP containing TLVs of area scope. Advantageously, the present invention is generally applicable whenever label values are allocated to edge devices in a multi-area computer network and data is 'tunneled' through the network from one edge device to another.

Hierarchical label distribution for inter-area summarization of edge-device addresses

Growing community of inventors

Hants, United Kingdom

Simon Spraggs