Abstract: In one example, a method includes configuring a first provider edge (PE) router of a Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB) Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) to join an Ethernet Segment in active-active mode with at least a second PE router that is operating as a designated forwarder for the Ethernet Segment; receiving, by the first PE router from a remote PE router and prior to the first PE router performing Media Access Control (MAC) learning of a customer-MAC (C-MAC) address that is reachable via a backbone-MAC (B-MAC) address associated with the Ethernet Segment, a network packet that includes the C-MAC address; and in response to determining that the C-MAC address has not been learned by the first PE router and the B-MAC address included in the network packet is associated with the Ethernet Segment, forwarding, by the first PE router, the network packet to a destination identified by the C-MAC address.

Abstract: A method and network device to execute an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) protocol to configure the network device to participate as one of a plurality of customer edge (CE) routers that provide an active-active configuration for an Ethernet segment coupling the CE routers to a plurality of provider edge (PE) routers, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a packet that is to be forwarded is an operations, administration, and management (OAM) packet; in response to determining that the packet comprises an OAM packet, replicate the OAM packet for one or more interface links of an Ethernet segment associated with the CE router; configure forwarding instructions to the one or more interface links of the Ethernet segment associated with the CE router; and forward the OAM packet and the replicated OAM packets to the PE routers.

Abstract: A device may transmit, to one or more network devices of a portion of a network, information indicating that the device is configured to perform a static designated forwarder election procedure. The device may determine that the one or more network devices of the portion of the network are each configured to perform the static designated forwarder election procedure. The device may enable a static designated forwarder configuration of the device based on determining that the one or more network devices of the portion of the network are each configured to perform the static designated forwarder election procedure.

Abstract: Techniques are described for supporting designated forwarder election for a multi-homed Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) data center interconnect (DCI) between multiple data centers by leveraging and utilizing adjacency state information learned from a multicast routing protocol that controls multicast distribution within an underlying transport network of a local data center. For example, a set or routers operating to provide a multi-homed EVPN DCI may utilize adjacency state information learned from a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) executing within the underlying transport network of a multi-homed data center to facilitate selection of a designated forwarder for the EVPN between the data centers. By leveraging adjacency state information, an enhanced DF election may be automatically performed for the EVPN to facilitate selection of a designated forwarder in a manner that may avoid loss of traffic in situations where a topology event in the underlying transport network of the data center.

Abstract: Data traffic loss in a an Ethernet Ring that is multihomed, in an active-standby manner, to a VPLS transport network (such as a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) multihomed Ethernet Ring, an MC-LAG multihomed Ethernet Ring, or some other type of active-standby multihomed Ethernet Ring, etc.) (ring) is avoided. The exemplary multihomed ring running Ethernet Ring Protection (ERP) protocol includes a Ring Protection Link (RPL), a first node and a second node linked with a designated border router and a standby border router of the network, respectively. The data traffic loss in the multihomed ring is avoided by (i) receiving an indication that the link between the first node and the designated border router has failed; and (ii) invoking, responsive to the received indication, an ERP Media Access Control (MAC)-flush in the ring, even in the absence of a failed link in the ring and without activating the specified RPL.

Abstract: Data traffic loss in a an Ethernet Ring that is multihomed, in an active-standby manner, to a VPLS transport network (such as a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) multihomed Ethernet Ring, an MC-LAG multihomed Ethernet Ring, or some other type of active-standby multihomed Ethernet Ring, etc.) (ring) is avoided. The exemplary multihomed ring running Ethernet Ring Protection (ERP) protocol includes a Ring Protection Link (RPL), a first node and a second node linked with a designated border router and a standby border router of the network, respectively. The data traffic loss in the multihomed ring is avoided by (i) receiving an indication that the link between the first node and the designated border router has failed; and (ii) invoking, responsive to the received indication, an ERP Media Access Control (MAC)-flush in the ring, even in the absence of a failed link in the ring and without activating the specified RPL.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for synchronizing gateway layer two (L2) addresses of routers that cooperate to provide interconnectivity to multiple, separate L2 networks. In one example, a router includes a VPLS module that establishes a VPLS instance to provide L2 connectivity between a local L2 network for the router and a remote L2 network for the router, wherein the router is addressable by a gateway L2 address. A synchronization module receives a gateway L2 address synchronization message that includes an additional gateway L2 address for an additional router. An integrated routing and bridging (IRB) interface of the router receives a L2 PDU from the local L2 network on an attachment circuit for the VPLS instance attached to the interface card, and a forwarding unit routes a layer three (L3) packet carried by the PDU when the PDU has an L2 destination address that matches the additional gateway L2 address.

Abstract: Techniques are described for forwarding packets in a VPLS using multi-homing PE routers configured in an “active-active” link topology. A router includes a control unit that forms a customer-facing multi-chassis link aggregation group (LAG) to include a plurality of active access links that couple the router and a second router to a multi-homed customer site associated with the VPLS domain. The control unit also forms a core-facing multi-chassis LAG within the VPLS domain to include a plurality of pseudowires that connect the router and other member routers of the core-facing LAG to a common remote router of the VPLS domain. The router receives layer two (L2) packets from the multi-homed customer site on one or more of the active access links and forwards the L2 packets to the remote router over one or more of the pseudowires using the core-facing multi-chassis LAG.

Abstract: Techniques are described for supporting metro Ethernet “E-TREE” service over a packet-switched MPLS network, including a VPLS core, in a manner that allows a service provide to easily integrate with different types of technologies deployed by its various customers. Moreover, the techniques described herein provide increased flexibility with respect to the topology of the roots and leafs of the E-TREE service and, in particular, allow roots and leaf nodes to be coupled to a common router that provides access to the VPLS core. An NNI port of a PE router may process network traffic to provide E-TREE service to a bridged network having both leaf nodes and root nodes process and direct traffic between logical interfaces as changed next hops.

Abstract: Data traffic loss in a an Ethernet Ring that is multihomed, in an active-standby manner, to a VPLS transport network (such as a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) multihomed Ethernet Ring, an MC-LAG multihomed Ethernet Ring, or some other type of active-standby multihomed Ethernet Ring, etc.) (ring) is avoided. The exemplary multihomed ring running Ethernet Ring Protection (ERP) protocol includes a Ring Protection Link (RPL), a first node and a second node linked with a designated border router and a standby border router of the network, respectively. The data traffic loss in the multihomed ring is avoided by (i) receiving an indication that the link between the first node and the designated border router has failed; and (ii) invoking, responsive to the received indication, an ERP Media Access Control (MAC)-flush in the ring, even in the absence of a failed link in the ring and without activating the specified RPL.

Abstract: An example method includes monitoring a layer two network with a first network device that operates within the network. The method also includes discovering a second network device that operates within the network by receiving an extended continuity check message (CCM) transmitted from the second network device. The extended CCM transmitted from the second network device indicates to other network devices that a service instance is available on the second network device, and includes an indication of one or more network devices from which the second network device has received CCMs for the service instance. The method further includes determining that bidirectional connectivity exists between the first network device and the second network device when the indication includes the first network device as one of the network devices from which the second network device has received CCMs for the service instance.

Abstract: A device may include a maintenance association endpoint configured to select a maintenance association endpoint identifier, transmit the maintenance association endpoint identifier to one or more other maintenance association endpoints, and automatically assign the maintenance association endpoint identifier to the maintenance association endpoint if it is determined that the maintenance association endpoint identifier is available based on a conflict message received from one of the one more other maintenance association endpoints.

Abstract: A device may include a maintenance association endpoint configured to select a maintenance association endpoint identifier, transmit the maintenance association endpoint identifier to one or more other maintenance association endpoints, and automatically assign the maintenance association endpoint identifier to the maintenance association endpoint if it is determined that the maintenance association endpoint identifier is available based on a conflict message received from one of the one more other maintenance association endpoints.

Abstract: A device may include a maintenance association endpoint configured to select a maintenance association endpoint identifier, transmit the maintenance association endpoint identifier to one or more other maintenance association endpoints, and automatically assign the maintenance association endpoint identifier to the maintenance association endpoint if it is determined that the maintenance association endpoint identifier is available based on a conflict message received from one of the one more other maintenance association endpoints.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for simultaneously testing connectivity to same or different remote maintenance endpoints of the same maintenance association. Specifically, a network device may include a control unit that simultaneously executes both a first and a second maintenance session. The control unit maintains first and second session identifiers that uniquely identifies the first and second maintenance sessions. The control unit receives via the first maintenance session input that specifies parameters for a maintenance message and generates the maintenance message in accordance with the parameters such that the maintenance message includes the first session identifier. The network device also includes an interface card that forwards the maintenance message to another network device in order to determine connectivity between these two network devices.

Abstract: A method may include receiving a packet including a destination address, identifying a destination address entry based on the destination address, the destination address entry including an address identifier, comparing the address identifier to an event identifier, determining whether an event occurred based on the comparison, and forwarding the packet on an alternate path if it is determined that the event occurred.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for routing frames in a TRILL network using service VLAN identifiers by: receiving a frame from an ingress bridge node for transmission through the TRILL network to a destination node that connects to the TRILL network through an egress node, the received frame including a customer VLAN identifier, a service VLAN identifier uniquely assigned to the ingress bridge node, and a destination node address for the destination node, the received frame not having mac-in-mac encapsulation; adding, in dependence upon the service VLAN identifier and the destination node address, a TRILL header conforming to the TRILL protocol, the TRILL header including an ingress bridge nickname and an egress bridge nickname; and routing, to the egress bridge node through which the destination node connects to the network, the frame in dependence upon the ingress bridge nickname and the egress bridge nickname.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for routing frames in a TRILL network using service VLAN identifiers by: receiving a frame from an ingress bridge node for transmission through the TRILL network to a destination node that connects to the TRILL network through an egress node, the received frame including a customer VLAN identifier, a service VLAN identifier uniquely assigned to the ingress bridge node, and a destination node address for the destination node, the received frame not having mac-in-mac encapsulation; adding, in dependence upon the service VLAN identifier and the destination node address, a TRILL header conforming to the TRILL protocol, the TRILL header including an ingress bridge nickname and an egress bridge nickname; and routing, to the egress bridge node through which the destination node connects to the network, the frame in dependence upon the ingress bridge nickname and the egress bridge nickname.

Abstract: A method may include receiving a packet including a destination address, identifying a destination address entry based on the destination address, the destination address entry including an address identifier, comparing the address identifier to an event identifier, determining whether an event occurred based on the comparison, and forwarding the packet on an alternate path if it is determined that the event occurred.