Patent · US Active

Border gateway protocol procedures for multi-protocol label switching and layer-2 virtual private networks using Ethernet-based tunnels

US8117338B2 · kind B2 · utility

15Cited by
0References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 17, 2008
Grant dateFeb 14, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 19, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L12/4675
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Described are a network device and method for distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN) from a first provider edge (PE) router to a second provider edge (PE) router. An Ethernet switched path (e.g., a Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) tunnel) is established between the first and second PE routers. The first PE router is at a source end of the Ethernet switched path and the second PE router is at a destination end of the Ethernet switched path. A BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) message is sent from the first PE router to the second PE router. The BGP message contains routing information for a VPN route in a VPN supported by the PSN. An association between the VPN route in the VPN and the Ethernet switched path is determined from the routing information in the BGP message.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.