Abstract: A router receives, from a BGP peer, a BGP update message including NLRI (VPN-NLRI) specific to a virtual private network, as well as path information including an address of a next hop for the VPN-NLRI. The router determines that there is no route to the next hop, modifies the filtering information to permit propagation of NLRI including the address of the next hop, and sends the modified filtering information to BGP neighbors. Alternatively, a router determines that such a BGP update message is due to be sent to a BGP peer. The router determines that the filtering information does not allow propagation, to the peer, of NLRI including the address of the next-hop, modifies the filtering information so as to permit propagation, to the BGP peer, of NLRI including the address of the next hop, and sends the BGP update message to the peer.

Abstract: A router receives, from a BGP peer, a BGP update message including NLRI (VPN-NLRI) specific to a virtual private network, as well as path information including an address of a next hop for the VPN-NLRI. The router determines that there is no route to the next hop, modifies the filtering information to permit propagation of NLRI including the address of the next hop, and sends the modified filtering information to BGP neighbours. Alternatively, a router determines that such a BGP update message is due to be sent to a BGP peer. The router determines that the filtering information does not allow propagation, to the peer, of NLRI including the address of the next-hop, modifies the filtering information so as to permit propagation, to the BGP peer, of NLRI including the address of the next hop, and sends the BGP update message to the peer.

Abstract: An e-tree service that includes establishing two pseudowires (PW) between edge network elements with enhanced packet forwarding is described. In one embodiment, a root PW is used for carrying packets that are sent from a root node network element, and a leaf PW is used for carrying packets that are sent from a leaf node network element in the e-tree service network. When a network element receives a packet with a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address on the logical port associated with the leaf access circuit (AC), responsive to determining that the destination MAC address corresponds to a MAC address in a MAC address table stored in the network element, and that an attribute associated with that MAC address in the MAC address table indicates the MAC address was learned from the leaf PW, the network element drops the packet.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses for BFD to Y.1731 internetworking are described. In one embodiment, a method of processing defect conditions in a maintenance endpoint (MEP) of a first domain, the MEP a component of a bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD) to Y.1731 interworking interface (IWF) in a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network is described.

Abstract: An e-tree service that includes establishing two pseudowires (PW) between edge network elements with enhanced address learning is described. In one embodiment, a root PW and a leaf PW are used for carrying packets from a root node and from a leaf node, respectively. When a network element receives a packet on the root PW, the network element associates the source Media Access Control (MAC) address of the packet with the logical port associated with the root PW in a root PW MAC address table, and also associates the source MAC address with the logical port associated with the leaf PW in a leaf PW MAC address table. When a network element receives a packet on the leaf PW, the network element associates the source MAC address of this packet with the logical port that is associated with the root PW in the root PW MAC address table.

Abstract: Improving efficiency of encapsulation for packets of a first set of one or more protocols on a packet-pseudowire over a tunnel in a Packet Switched Network (PSN) is described. A first provider edge (PE) network element is coupled with a customer edge (CE) network element over an attachment circuit and is coupled with a second PE network element over the packet-pseudowire. The first provider edge network element receives a frame from the CE network element over the attachment circuit. Responsive to the first PE network element determining that the frame encapsulates a packet of the first set of protocols, the first PE network element encapsulates the packet into a protocol data unit for transmission over the packet-pseudowire without including substantially all of the plurality of fields of the data link layer header. The first PE network element transmits the protocol data unit over the packet-pseudowire over the PSN tunnel to the second PE network element.

Abstract: An e-tree service that includes establishing two pseudowires (PW) between edge network elements with enhanced address learning is described. In one embodiment, a root PW and a leaf PW are used for carrying packets from a root node and from a leaf node, respectively. When a network element receives a packet on the root PW, the network element associates the source Media Access Control (MAC) address of the packet with the logical port associated with the root PW in a root PW MAC address table, and also associates the source MAC address with the logical port associated with the leaf PW in a leaf PW MAC address table. When a network element receives a packet on the leaf PW, the network element associates the source MAC address of this packet with the logical port that is associated with the root PW in the root PW MAC address table.

Abstract: An e-tree service that includes establishing two pseudowires (PW) between edge network elements with enhanced packet forwarding is described. In one embodiment, a root PW is used for carrying packets that are sent from a root node network element, and a leaf PW is used for carrying packets that are sent from a leaf node network element in the e-tree service network. When a network element receives a packet with a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address on the logical port associated with the leaf access circuit (AC), responsive to determining that the destination MAC address corresponds to a MAC address in a MAC address table stored in the network element, and that an attribute associated with that MAC address in the MAC address table indicates the MAC address was learned from the leaf PW, the network element drops the packet.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses for BFD to Y.1731 internetworking are described. In one embodiment, a method of processing defect conditions in a maintenance endpoint (MEP) of a first domain, the MEP a component of a bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD) to Y.1731 interworking interface (IWF) in a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network is described.

Abstract: Improving efficiency of encapsulation for packets of a first set of one or more protocols on a packet-pseudowire over a tunnel in a Packet Switched Network (PSN) is described. A first provider edge (PE) network element is coupled with a customer edge (CE) network element over an attachment circuit and is coupled with a second PE network element over the packet-pseudowire. The first provider edge network element receives a frame from the CE network element over the attachment circuit. Responsive to the first PE network element determining that the frame encapsulates a packet of the first set of protocols, the first PE network element encapsulates the packet into a protocol data unit for transmission over the packet-pseudowire without including substantially all of the plurality of fields of the data link layer header. The first PE network element transmits the protocol data unit over the packet-pseudowire over the PSN tunnel to the second PE network element.

Abstract: A destination router label is added to Pseudo Wire encapsulated data packets for crossing a Multiple Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. Data arrives at a PW function, which performs PW encapsulation, further adding a PWE control word and a PWE label. The PW function also adds a destination router label (DRL). The DRL is configured at PW creation time with a PW control message (that is, an unsolicited LabelMap message) to a specific edge router. The packet may then be sent to a Traffic Engineering (TE) function, which uses the DRL to make the routing decision for the packet. The routing decision includes adding a PSN tunnel label to replace the DRL label for crossing the transport network. The rest of the processing is conventional PWE3 transport on MPLS; that is, when the packet is received at a second PW function, it removes the PW encapsulations and forwards the packet based on the contents of the PWE label.

Abstract: A system and method in an IP-based network for defining a specific router for a host to utilize as a default router. The host is configured with a plurality of preferred correlation values, each of which has a different corresponding preference level. Routers send Router Advertisement (RA) messages to the host and include at least one router correlation value and at least one corresponding priority value. The host compares the received router correlation values with its preferred correlation values and identifies the router that sent the router correlation value that matched the preferred correlation value having the highest corresponding preference level. The identified router is selected as the host's default router. If more than one router matches the preferred correlation value having the highest corresponding preference level, the router that sent the highest priority value is selected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pair of routers which implement an active VRRP group and one or more passive VRRP groups wherein the active VRRP group executes the VRRP election protocol and the passive VRRP group(s) do not execute the VRRP election protocol but instead the passive VRRP group(s) mimic the active VRRP group such that when the active VRRP group has a state change then all of it's dependent passive VRRP group(s) will also have the same state change such as becoming a master or a backup.

Abstract: A system and method in an IP-based network for defining a specific router for a host to utilize as a default router. The host is configured with a plurality of preferred correlation values, each of which has a different corresponding preference level. Routers send Router Advertisement (RA) messages to the host and include at least one router correlation value and at least one corresponding priority value. The host compares the received router correlation values with its preferred correlation values and identifies the router that sent the router correlation value that matched the preferred correlation value having the highest corresponding preference level. The identified router is selected as the host's default router. If more than one router matches the preferred correlation value having the highest corresponding preference level, the router that sent the highest priority value is selected.

Abstract: Security peer failure, in a network, is reduced by detecting peer liveness after a session has been established between a first and a second peer utilizing a protocol for setting up a security association. A protocol for detecting faults establishes a session between the first and second peer and the fault detecting session is associated with the security association session. Alternatively the security association may be registered with the fault detecting session. The purpose of registering the fault detecting session and the security association session is to determine liveness of the security association peer and when the fault detecting session fails, the peer is notified to take corrective action.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pair of routers which implement an active VRRP group and one or more passive VRRP groups wherein the active VRRP group executes the VRRP election protocol and the passive VRRP group(s) do not execute the VRRP election protocol but instead the passive VRRP group(s) mimic the active VRRP group such that when the active VRRP group has a state change then all of it's dependent passive VRRP group(s) will also have the same state change such as becoming a master or a backup.

Abstract: The signaling for establishing a Pseudo Wire (PW) that crosses a Multiple Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network is augmented to permit decoupling the PW processing and encapsulation from a Provider Edge (PE) or Customer Edge (CE) router. Configuration of a PW triggers the augmented PW signaling that traverses from the destination PW processing function to the origin PW processing function. The signaling may use Traffic Engineering (TE) tunnels set up a priori and, in the upstream CEs (or PEs) uses the embedded PW origin IP address to make routing decisions for the signaling packet. The rest of the signaling processing is conventional PWE3 signaling on MPLS.

Abstract: A destination router label is added to Pseudo Wire encapsulated data packets for crossing a Multiple Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. Data arrives at a PW function, which performs PW encapsulation, further adding a PWE control word and a PWE label. The PW function also adds a destination router label (DRL). The DRL is configured at PW creation time with a PW control message (that is, an unsolicited LabelMap message) to a specific edge router. The packet may then be sent to a Traffic Engineering (TE) function, which uses the DRL to make the routing decision for the packet. The routing decision includes adding a PSN tunnel label to replace the DRL label for crossing the transport network. The rest of the processing is conventional PWE3 transport on MPLS; that is, when the packet is received at a second PW function, it removes the PW encapsulations and forwards the packet based on the contents of the PWE label.