Abstract: A network device may forward fragments of an IPv4 network packet to an IPv6 network without reassembling the IPv4 network packet. The network device may receive and buffer one or more fragments of a fragment flow associated with the IPv4 network packet until it receives a fragment of the fragment flow that includes an indication of the destination port of the IPv4 network packet. When the network device receives the fragment that includes the indication of the destination port of the IPv4 network packet, the network device may encapsulate each fragment of the fragment flow that it has received into respective IPv6 network packets to the IPv6 network.

Abstract: A network device may forward fragments of an IPv4 network packet to an IPv6 network without reassembling the IPv4 network packet. The network device may receive and buffer one or more fragments of a fragment flow associated with the IPv4 network packet until it receives a fragment of the fragment flow that includes an indication of the destination port of the IPv4 network packet. When the network device receives the fragment that includes the indication of the destination port of the IPv4 network packet, the network device may encapsulate each fragment of the fragment flow that it has received into respective IPv6 network packets to the IPv6 network.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for programming a set of one or more pre-defined rules within the forwarding plane of a packet gateway of a mobile service provider network and caching, within control plane, a group identifier that identifies the set of programmed, pre-defined rules. The control plane may match quality of service (QoS) information of incoming subscriber service requests with the group identifier and respective subsets of the set of programmed, pre-defined rules to rapidly associate service requests with already-programmed PCC rules and thereafter install, to the forwarding plane, subscriber service-specific actions for the PCC rules.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for offloading data transfer statistics from a mobile access gateway. The mobile access gateway comprises a forwarding unit. The forwarding unit comprises a packet forwarding engine (PFE). When the PFE receives a packet, the PFE updates a data transfer statistic based on a quantity of data in the packet. The data transfer statistic is initially stored in a memory of the PFE. The PFE is configured to push the data transfer statistic from the memory of the PFE to a memory of the forwarding unit.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for applying, with a network device, subscriber-specific packet processing using an internal processing path that includes service objects that are commonly applied to multiple packet flows associated with multiple subscribers. In one example, a network device control plane creates subscriber records that include, for respective subscribers, one or more variable values that specify service objects as well as an identifier for a packet processing template. A forwarding plane of the network device receives and maps subscriber packets to an associated subscriber record and then processes the packet by executing the packet processing template specified by the subscriber record. When the forwarding plane reaches a variable while executing the specified packet processing template, the forwarding plane reads the associated variable value from the subscriber record to identify and then apply the subscriber-specific service object specified by the variable.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for offloading data transfer statistics from a mobile access gateway. The mobile access gateway comprises a forwarding unit. The forwarding unit comprises a packet forwarding engine (PFE). When the PFE receives a packet, the PFE updates a data transfer statistic based on a quantity of data in the packet. The data transfer statistic is initially stored in a memory of the PFE. The PFE is configured to push the data transfer statistic from the memory of the PFE to a memory of the forwarding unit.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described that facilitate scalable wholesale layer two (L2) connectivity between customers and service providers and a demarcation between the L2 wholesale network and one or more ISPs with which customers communicate L2 PDUs. In one example, a network device receives PDU having both a service identifier identifying a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and a customer identifier identifying a customer VLAN (CVLAN). A virtual switch determines whether an entry of a L2 learning table is associated with both the service identifier and the customer identifier of the PDU. When no such entry exists, a VLAN learning module updates the L2 learning table to create a new entry that maps to a network device interface and is associated with both the service identifier of the PDU and a plurality of customer identifiers that includes the customer identifier of the PDU.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for programming a set of one or more pre-defined rules within the forwarding plane of a packet gateway of a mobile service provider network and caching, within control plane, a group identifier that identifies the set of programmed, pre-defined rules. The control plane may match quality of service (QoS) information of incoming subscriber service requests with the group identifier and respective subsets of the set of programmed, pre-defined rules to rapidly associate service requests with already-programmed PCC rules and thereafter install, to the forwarding plane, subscriber service-specific actions for the PCC rules.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for applying, with a network device, subscriber-specific packet processing using an internal processing path that includes service objects that are commonly applied to multiple packet flows associated with multiple subscribers. In one example, a network device control plane creates subscriber records that include, for respective subscribers, one or more variable values that specify service objects as well as an identifier for a packet processing template. A forwarding plane of the network device receives and maps subscriber packets to an associated subscriber record and then processes the packet by executing the packet processing template specified by the subscriber record. When the forwarding plane reaches a variable while executing the specified packet processing template, the forwarding plane reads the associated variable value from the subscriber record to identify and then apply the subscriber-specific service object specified by the variable.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for maintaining load balancing after service application. A network device comprising ingress and egress forwarding components and a service card may implement the techniques. An ingress forwarding component receives a packet and, in response to a determination that the service is to be applied to the packet, updates the packet to include an ingress identifier that identifies the ingress forwarding component, thereafter transmitting the updated packet to the service card. The service card applies the service to the updated packet to generate a serviced packet and transmits the serviced packet to the ingress forwarding component identified by the ingress identifier so as to maintain load balancing of packet flows across the plurality of forwarding components. The ingress forwarding component determines a next hop to which to forward the serviced packet and the egress forwarding component forwards the serviced packet to the determined next hop.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for applying, with a network device, subscriber-specific packet processing using an internal processing path that includes service objects that are commonly applied to multiple packet flows associated with multiple subscribers. In one example, a network device control plane creates subscriber records that include, for respective subscribers, one or more variable values that specify service objects as well as an identifier for a packet processing template. A forwarding plane of the network device receives and maps subscriber packets to an associated subscriber record and then processes the packet by executing the packet processing template specified by the subscriber record. When the forwarding plane reaches a variable while executing the specified packet processing template, the forwarding plane reads the associated variable value from the subscriber record to identify and then apply the subscriber-specific service object specified by the variable.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for maintaining load balancing after service application. A network device comprising ingress and egress forwarding components and a service card may implement the techniques. An ingress forwarding component receives a packet and, in response to a determination that the service is to be applied to the packet, updates the packet to include an ingress identifier that identifies the ingress forwarding component, thereafter transmitting the updated packet to the service card. The service card applies the service to the updated packet to generate a serviced packet and transmits the serviced packet to the ingress forwarding component identified by the ingress identifier so as to maintain load balancing of packet flows across the plurality of forwarding components. The ingress forwarding component determines a next hop to which to forward the serviced packet and the egress forwarding component forwards the serviced packet to the determined next hop.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described that facilitate scalable wholesale layer two (L2) connectivity between customers and service providers and a demarcation between the L2 wholesale network and one or more ISPs with which customers communicate L2 PDUs. In one example, a network device receives PDU having both a service identifier identifying a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and a customer identifier identifying a customer VLAN (CVLAN). A virtual switch determines whether an entry of a L2 learning table is associated with both the service identifier and the customer identifier of the PDU. When no such entry exists, a VLAN learning module updates the L2 learning table to create a new entry that maps to a network device interface and is associated with both the service identifier of the PDU and a plurality of customer identifiers that includes the customer identifier of the PDU.

Abstract: An example network device includes a set of interfaces, a control unit, and a forwarding engine. The control unit includes an interface group information repository that stores data defining interface groups. Each interface group includes one or more interfaces. The forwarding engine includes a media access control (MAC) address repository that stores a mapping of a first interface to a source MAC address, and a MAC address management module that determines whether an interface group to which the first interface is assigned is the same interface group as the interface group to which a second interface is assigned. The control unit is configured to receive a layer two (L2) communication via the second interface, wherein the L2 communication includes the source MAC address. The forwarding engine dynamically updates the MAC address repository based on the determination of the MAC address management module.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for performing scalable layer two (L2) learning in computer networks. A network device that includes interfaces and a control unit may implement these techniques. The control unit stores a L2 learning table having entries that are each associated with a service tag identifying a service virtual local area network. In response to receiving a packet that includes a service tag, the interfaces access the L2 learning table using the service tag to determine whether any of the entries of the L2 learning table are associated with the service tag. When none of the entries are associated with the service tag, the L2 learning module updates the L2 learning table to create a new entry defining an association between the one of the interfaces that received the packet and the service tag.

Abstract: A network system includes a provider backbone bridged network (PBBN) and a multi-homed provider bridge network (PBN) having an L2 switch that operate as backboned edge bridge (BEBs) to bridge L2 packets between the PBN and the PBBN. The L2 switch executes a PBBN routing instance and a separate PBN routing instance. A plurality of packet-forwarding engine (PFE) of the L2 switch are configured to forward L2 packets between interfaces of the PBN routing instance and the PBBN routing instance. The PFEs store L2 network address tables that specify L2 network addresses reachable by the interfaces. The PFEs of the L2 switch are configured to selectively share L2 network addresses between the L2 network address tables of the PBN routing instance and the L2 network address tables of the PBBN routing instance.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for enhanced learning in layer two (L2) networks. A first network device of the intermediate network comprising a control unit and an interface may implement these techniques. The control unit executes a loop-prevention protocol (LPP) that determines a bridge identifier associated with a second network device of the intermediate network, where the first and second network devices each couple to a first network. The LPP selects the second network device as a root bridge and detects a topology change that splits the first network into sub-networks. The interface then outputs a message to direct remaining network devices of the intermediate network to clear L2 address information learned when forwarding L2 communications. The message includes the bridge identifier determined by the loop-prevention protocol as the root bridge and directs these remaining network devices to clear only the L2 addresses learned from this bridge identifier.

Abstract: A network system includes a provider backbone bridged network (PBBN) and a multi-homed provider bridge network (PBN) having a plurality of L2 switches that operate as backboned edge bridges (BEBs) to bridges L2 packets between the PBN and the PBBN. A first one of the L2 switches is configured to bridge L2 packets from a first backbone VLAN (B-VLAN) to the PBN when a physical link of the multi-homed PBN is operational. The L2 switch is further configured to shunt the L2 packets from the first backbone VLAN to a second one of the L2 switches operating as a secondary BEB of the multi-homed PBN via a second B-VLAN when the physical link is non-operational.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for applying, with a network device, subscriber-specific packet processing using an internal processing path that includes service objects that are commonly applied to multiple packet flows associated with multiple subscribers. In one example, a network device control plane creates subscriber records that include, for respective subscribers, one or more variable values that specify service objects as well as an identifier for a packet processing template. A forwarding plane of the network device receives and maps subscriber packets to an associated subscriber record and then processes the packet by executing the packet processing template specified by the subscriber record. When the forwarding plane reaches a variable while executing the specified packet processing template, the forwarding plane reads the associated variable value from the subscriber record to identify and then apply the subscriber-specific service object specified by the variable.

Abstract: A device includes one or more network interfaces to receive layer two (L2) communications from an L2 network having a plurality of L2 devices; and a control unit to forward the L2 communications in accordance with forwarding information defining a plurality of flooding next hops. Each of the flooding next hops stored by the control unit specifies a set of the L2 devices within the L2 network to which to forward L2 communications in accordance with a plurality of trees, where each of the trees has a different one of the plurality of L2 devices as a root node. The control unit of the device computes a corresponding one of flooding next hops for each of the trees using only a subset of the trees without computing all of the trees having all of the different L2 network devices as root nodes.