Cisco Technology, Inc.

W Mark Townsley

Earl Hardin Booth, Iii

Pierre Pfister

Christopher Metz

Ijsbrand Wijnands

James Neil Guichard

Gregory J Shepherd

Thomas David Nadeau

Luca Martini

Neale D R Ranns

W Scott Wainner

Wojciech Dec

Daniel C Tappan

Mohammed Azhar Sayeed

Bertrand Duvivier

Keyur Patel

George Swallow

Hugo Latapie

Enzo Fenoglio

Yoann Desmouceaux

Monique Jeanne Morrow

Ole Troan

Methods, network devices and computer readable media are disclosed relating to a communication network. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a message comprising a message bit array. The message bit array identifies egress nodes for the message within a bit indexed explicit replication (BIER) domain of a communications network. A first bit position in the message bit array represents a first one or more of the egress nodes, and a bit value at the first bit position indicates that the message is to be forwarded to one of the first one or more of the egress nodes. The method further includes accessing a first forwarding table entry corresponding to the first bit position, determining whether the first bit position is an anycast bit position having multiple corresponding forwarding table entries, and forwarding the message to one of the first one or more of the egress nodes.

Area-specific broadcasting using bit indexed explicit replication

In one embodiment, a traffic analysis service obtains traffic characteristics of network traffic associated with a device in a network. The traffic analysis service uses a machine learning model to infer resource usage by the device based on the obtained traffic characteristics of the network traffic associated with the device. The traffic analysis service controls traffic flows in the network based on the inferred resource usage by the device.

Inferring device load and availability in a network by observing weak signal network based metrics

Methods and network devices are disclosed relating to a multi-area communication network employing bit indexed explicit replication (BIER). In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a node in a communications network, a message comprising a first message bit array. The method further includes detecting a bit value of a first relative bit position in the first message bit array, where the first relative bit position represents a first group of destination nodes in the communications network, and evaluating the bit value of the first relative bit position in order to determine whether to encapsulate the received message for delivery to the first group of destination nodes. An embodiment of a network device comprises a processor adapted to implement an embodiment of the method.

In one embodiment, a decapsulating network device receives a plurality of encapsulated packet fragments of an original packet, and decapsulates them into respective decapsulated packet fragments. The decapsulating network device caches an inner header of the original packet from one of the decapsulated packet fragments, and in response to caching the inner header, and for each particular decapsulated packet fragment as it is received and decapsulated: prepends the inner header and fragmentation information to the particular decapsulated packet fragment; and forwards the particular decapsulated packet fragment with the prepended inner header and fragmentation information from the decapsulating network device toward a destination of the original packet.

Partial reassembly and fragmentation for decapsulation

A method and apparatus for providing information in a network by way of a Pseudowire switching TLV is presented. A second device in the network receives a first message having information relating to a first device in the network. The second device appends information relating to the second device (by way of a Pseudowire switching TLV) to the first message, resulting in a second message. The second message is then forwarded to a third device in the network.

Pseudowire (PW) switching type-length-value (TLV)

A pseudowire verification framework gathers and maintains status of individual pseudowires by aggregating the state of the individual node hops defining the pseudowire. The framework provides complete assessment of a network by gathering status feedback from network nodes (forwarding entities) that are inaccessible directly from a requesting node by employing an intermediate forwarding entity as a proxy for inquiring on behalf of the requesting node. Therefore, status regarding inaccessible pseudowires is obtainable indirectly from nodes able to 'see' the particular pseudowire. Configurations further assess multihop pseudowires including a plurality of network segments; in which each segment defines a pseudowire hop including forwarding entities along the pseudowire path. In this manner, pseudowire health and status is gathered and interrogated for nodes (forwarding) entities unable to directly query the subject pseudowire via intermediate forwarding entities.

System and methods for identifying network path performance

A method, apparatus and computer program product for routing data within a packet-switched network using a PW wherein the PW is terminated directly on the layer-3 routing device such that certain services and applications can be utilized is presented. The method, apparatus and computer program product receives an encapsulated layer-2 Protocol Data Unit (PDU) from a pseudowire emulating a service. The encapsulation is removed from the encapsulated layer-2 PDU and a layer-2 circuit associated with the pseudowire is terminated. The circuit is treated as an interface and the PDU is forwarded based on upper layer protocol information within the PDU.

Psuedowire termination directly on a router

Conventional network packet traffic loss/drop monitoring mechanisms, such as that employed for pseudowire, IP flow and tunnel traffic monitoring, do not process or diagnose the aggregate counts from both endpoints of a particular pseudowire. A packet loss and detection mechanism periodically exchanges traffic packet counts to maintain an accurate diagnosis of the pseudowire health from either endpoint. Further, the raw packet counts are analyzed to identify misrouted and lost packets, as both should be considered to assess network health and congestion. The pseudowire statistics are maintained for each pseudowire emanating from a particular edge router, providing a complete view of pseudowire traffic affecting a particular edge router. Such statistics are beneficial for problem detection, diagnosis, and for verification of throughput criteria such as those expressed in Quality of Service (QOS) terms and/or SLAs (service level agreements).

Method and apparatus for packet loss detection

Implementation of a VPN service such as a VPLS (Virtual Private Local area network Service) is performed utilizing a two-stage process. A first stage of the two-stage process involves providing notification of whether a PE (Provider Edge) router in a label-switching network has VPLS capability. Notification can include broadcasting a message from a PE router to remote PE routers in the label-switching network to indicate whether the broadcasting PE router is VPLS enabled. A second stage of the two-stage process involves, based on receiving a notification that a PE router is VPLS enabled, generating a query message to discover a set of VPLS instances to which the broadcasting PE router belongs. In this way, a given PE router generating the query message can identify other PE routers in the label-switching network associated with the same VPLS for purposes of setting up the VPLS in the label-switching network.

Methods and apparatus for implementing VPN services

A traceroute mechanism enables responses to the traceroute to reach the originating router (originator) along a multihop pseudowire (PW). A traceroute message includes an accumulator operable to count hops along a MH-PW, implemented as a time-to-live (TTL) field, as is known in the art. An originator router employs multiple TTL values, and decrements one of the TTL 'accumulators' for each hop. At the ultimate (terminal) router defining the end of the multihop PW, a TTL in the return message is set to the number of hops traveled by the traceroute. The difference between the accumulator and the initial TTL value determines the number of hops traveled by the traceroute message, and hence the number of hops back to the originating node. The traceroute return message, now having a TTL set to the number of hops of the counterpart traceroute, reaches the originator when the TTL value is decremented to zero.

System and methods for sending trace messages

A method and apparatus for performing Layer 2 (L2) interworking is presented. A L2 Protocol Data Unit (PDU) is received at an L2 Switching Entity (SE). The L2 PDU is converted to a normalized Pseudowire (PW) PDU. The normalized PW PDU is then forwarded to a Layer 3 (L3) Routing Entity (RE). The normalized PDU may be in the form of a predetermined L2 protocol or a L2 agnostic protocol.

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Paris, France

W Mark Townsley