Cisco Technology, Inc.

Will Lipeng Jiang

Jun Hui Liu

Chao Zhou

Kathy Xia Ke

Tony Changhong Shen

Di Cheng

In one embodiment, a packet switching device is configured to operate as a spoke or a hub in a Dynamic Multipoint Virtual Private Network (DMVPN) using one or more initially negotiated service overlay capabilities including service encapsulation to use in communicating service overlay data packets between the packet switching device and another device (e.g., spoke, hub) of the DMVPN over an established tunnel (e.g., secure protocol channel). The packet switching device is further configured to negotiate updated one or more service overlay capabilities including updated service encapsulation to use in communicating service overlay data packets with another device (e.g., spoke, hub) without dropping the already established tunnel. In one embodiment, the negotiation between the packet switching device and another device (e.g., spoke, hub) of the DMVPN uses Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP). In one embodiment, the service encapsulation uses Network Service Header (NSH).

Dynamic network service overlay establishment in hub-and-spoke packet switching networks

According to one aspect, a control entity (such as a policy server) in communication with a plurality of border routers in a network, generates failover entries for one or more traffic flows. Each failover entry specifies a backup path to be used by a border router when the border router determines that a wide area network interface of the border router has failed. The control entity sends the failover entries to each of the border routers. A border router operating in a network stores failover entries for one or more traffic flows. For packets received at the border router either from a local area network interface or via a tunnel from another border router, when the border router detects that the wide area network interface has failed, the border router determines how to handle the packets based on the stored failover entries.

Growing community of inventors

Shanghai, China

Will Lipeng Jiang