Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to BIER forwarding over varying BSL domains, the methods including the steps of receiving, at a border node, a packet comprising a BIER header having a BIER bit string with a first bit string length; reading an incoming label of the packet comprising instructions to split the BIER header into a plurality of smaller headers associated with a plurality of smaller bit strings; generating a set of split bit masks; performing a separate bitwise AND operation on each split bit mask and the BIER bit string to generate the plurality of smaller bit strings, each copied to a corresponding smaller header of the plurality of smaller headers; and performing a lookup for each of the plurality of smaller headers on a respective forwarding table to determine one or more egress routers to which to transmit the packet.

Abstract: A router node may be configured for communication of multicast traffic in a network fabric which may include a plurality of spine nodes interconnected to a plurality of leaf nodes. The router node may be configured as one of the leaf nodes and serve as a first hop router for multicast traffic. At the router node, a message for flooding the network fabric may be sent based on an indication of communication of multicast traffic for a multicast group from a source device. The message may include at least one spine node identifier of at least one preferred spine node joined to the multicast group at the router node. The message may be for indicating, to at least one of the leaf nodes, to prioritize joining to the multicast group at the at least one preferred spine node according to at least one spine node identifier.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first router, data from a network component. The method also includes determining, by the first router, a first link bandwidth capacity between the first router and a host device and determining, by the first router, a first score for the first router based on the first link bandwidth capacity. The method also includes determining, by the first router, a second link bandwidth capacity between a second router and the host device and determining, by the first router, a second score for the second router based on the second link bandwidth capacity. The method further includes comparing, by the first router, at least the first score and the second score to determine a highest score and assigning, by the first router, an edge router associated with the highest score to communicate the data to the host device.

Abstract: A method comprises, at a first router configured to perform Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) for forwarding of multicast packets in a network, storing configuration information that indicates that the first router belongs to multiple subdomains of a BIER domain, and is able to forward the multicast packets for a virtual private network on the multiple subdomains. The method further comprises, during an auto-discovery procedure, generating an auto-discovery message to include an auto-discovery route and route attributes that indicate the multiple subdomains, and sending the auto-discovery message to a second router of the virtual private network the network.

Abstract: In an example method, an instruction to begin monitoring incoming traffic of a multicast data flow is received by a router. The instruction is received from a downstream router. The example method further includes monitoring incoming traffic of the multicast data flow. At least partly in response to determining that an expected amount of the incoming traffic of the multicast data flow is being received at the router, reporting to a network administrator device, a location of the router in the multicast data flow. Further, at least partly in response to determining that an expected amount of the incoming traffic of the multicast a data flow is not being received, sending, by the router and to an upstream router, an instruction to begin monitoring incoming traffic of the multicast data flow.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for logical flow aggregation for fragmented multicast flows, the methods including the steps of identifying a plurality of fragmented multicast flows that are logically related as a single flow in a multicast network; generating a plurality of multicast joins associated with the plurality of fragmented multicast flows, wherein each multicast join of the plurality of multicast joins includes a join attribute comprising a common flow identifier that identifies the plurality of fragmented multicast flows as logically related; and selecting a reverse forwarding path toward an upstream device for the plurality of multicast joins.

Abstract: In an example method, a head node connected to a source device transmits a multicast data flow from the source device to receiving devices connected to tail nodes using Default MDT. The example method further includes determining that requirements have been met to begin transmitting the multicast data flow using Data MDT. The method may further include determining whether the tail nodes are able to receive the multicast data flow using Data MDT. In response to determining that all the tail nodes are able to receive the multicast data flow using Data MDT, switch to transmitting the multicast data flow to the tail nodes using Data MDT.

Abstract: A disclosed method is performed at a first boundary node bordering a BIER domain. The method includes receiving a message associated with a source and group for multicast from outside the BIER domain. The method further includes generating an encapsulated message based on the message, a metric, and a first proxy address of the first boundary node. The method also includes forwarding the encapsulated message through the BIER domain to at least one second boundary node bordering the BIER domain and connectable to the first boundary node. The first boundary node additionally triggers the at least one second boundary node to decapsulate the encapsulated message for forwarding out of the first domain and store a record including the source, the group, the metric representing the cost of the first boundary node to the source, and the first proxy address on the at least one second boundary node.

Abstract: A method comprises, at a first router configured to perform Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) for forwarding of multicast packets in a network, storing configuration information that indicates that the first router belongs to multiple subdomains of a BIER domain, and is able to forward the multicast packets for a virtual private network on the multiple subdomains. The method further comprises, during an auto-discovery procedure, generating an auto-discovery message to include an auto-discovery route and route attributes that indicate the multiple subdomains, and sending the auto-discovery message to a second router of the virtual private network the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is performed. A device may include an interface in communication with a network. The device may determine whether an all-active multi-homed ethernet segment (ES) associated with the interface is enabled. On a condition that an all-active multi-homed ES is enabled, the device may determine an ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) designated forwarder (DF) state of the all-active multi-homed ES. If the all-active multi-homed ES is enabled and has an ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) designated forwarder (DF) state, the device may enter a protocol independent multicast (PIM) designated router (DR) state. If an all-active multi-homed ES is enabled and does not have an EVPN DF state, the device may enter a PIM non-DR state.

Abstract: In one embodiment, method includes receiving, by a first network apparatus, a first multicast message from a second network apparatus. The first multicast message includes attestation-capability information associated with the second network apparatus and an attestation token. The attestation token is for proving that the second network apparatus is in a known safe state. The method also includes determining, by the first network apparatus, that the attestation-capability information satisfies a pre-determined attestation capability requirement and determining, by the first network apparatus, that the attestation token is valid for the second network apparatus at a current time. The method further includes establishing, by the first network apparatus, an adjacency to the second network apparatus.

Abstract: In one illustrative example, a network node connected in a network fabric may identify that it is established as part of a multicast distribution tree for forwarding multicast traffic from a source node to one or more host receiver devices of a multicast group. In response, the network node may propagate in the network fabric a message for advertising the network node as a candidate local source node at which to join the multicast group. The message for advertising may include data such as a reachability metric. The propagation of the message may be part of a flooding of such messages in the network fabric. The network node serving as the candidate local source node may thereafter “locally” join a host receiver device in the multicast group at the network node so that the device may receive the multicast traffic from the source node via the network node.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is performed. A device may include an interface in communication with a network. The device may determine whether an all-active multi-homed ethernet segment (ES) associated with the interface is enabled. On a condition that an all-active multi-homed ES is enabled, the device may determine an ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) designated forwarder (DF) state of the all-active multi-homed ES. If the all-active multi-homed ES is enabled and has an ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) designated forwarder (DF) state, the device may enter a protocol independent multicast (PIM) designated router (DR) state. If an all-active multi-homed ES is enabled and does not have an EVPN DF state, the device may enter a PIM non-DR state.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for logical flow aggregation for fragmented multicast flows, the methods including the steps of identifying a plurality of fragmented multicast flows that are logically related as a single flow in a multicast network; generating a plurality of multicast joins associated with the plurality of fragmented multicast flows, wherein each multicast join of the plurality of multicast joins includes a join attribute comprising a common flow identifier that identifies the plurality of fragmented multicast flows as logically related; and selecting a reverse forwarding path toward an upstream device for the plurality of multicast joins.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first router, data from a network component. The method also includes determining, by the first router, a first link bandwidth capacity between the first router and a host device and determining, by the first router, a first score for the first router based on the first link bandwidth capacity, The method also includes determining, by the first router, a second link bandwidth capacity between a second router and the host device and determining, by the first router, a second score for the second router based on the second link bandwidth capacity. The method further includes comparing, by the first router, at least the first score and the second score to determine a highest score and assigning, by the first router, an edge router associated with the highest score to communicate the data to the host device.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to BIER forwarding over varying BSL domains, the methods including the steps of receiving, at a border node, a packet comprising a BIER header having a BIER bit string with a first bit string length; reading an incoming label of the packet comprising instructions to split the BIER header into a plurality of smaller headers associated with a plurality of smaller bit strings; generating a set of split bit masks; performing a separate bitwise AND operation on each split bit mask and the BIER bit string to generate the plurality of smaller bit strings, each copied to a corresponding smaller header of the plurality of smaller headers; and performing a lookup for each of the plurality of smaller headers on a respective forwarding table to determine one or more egress routers to which to transmit the packet.

Abstract: A method is performed at a router configured to perform Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) for forwarding of multicast packets in a network. The method includes, upon receiving a multicast packet of a multicast flow, accessing flow mappings in which multicast flows are mapped to fixed accounting values corresponding to the multicast flows. The method further comprises generating a BIER header for the multicast packet by encoding a multi-segment entropy field of the BIER header with (i) a variable entropy value for equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) load balancing, and (ii) a fixed accounting value among the fixed accounting values that is mapped to the multicast flow in the flow mappings. The method also includes encapsulating the multicast packet with the BIER header to produce an encapsulated multicast packet, and forwarding the encapsulated multicast packet.

Abstract: A method is performed by a first provider edge (PE) of a redundancy group including provider edges configured with an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) segment identifier (EVI) and an Ethernet segment identifier (ESI) and that are multi-homed to a customer edge (CE). The method includes, upon receiving from the CE a join request including a group address for a multicast stream, electing a designated forwarder (DF) for the multicast stream. The electing includes: computing for each PE a respective affinity for the DF as a function of a respective address of the PE, the EVI, and the group address; and determining which PE has a largest affinity. The method further includes, if the first PE has the largest affinity or does not have the largest affinity, configuring the first PE as the designated forwarder or not configuring the first PE as the designated forwarder for the multicast stream, respectively.

Abstract: A method is performed by a network controller. The method includes receiving information that defines a topology of a network having Ethernet Segments configured with virtual local area networks (VLANs) and including provider edges that are multi-homed to customer edges. The method further comprises, based on the topology, determining for the VLANs particular provider edges among the provider edges that are to operate as designated forwarders of traffic for the VLANs, such that the VLANs are load balanced across the particular provider edges. The method also includes programming the particular provider edges as the designated forwarders of traffic for the VLANs.

Abstract: A method is performed at a provider edge node configured to communicate with remote provider edge nodes over an Ethernet virtual private network. The method includes receiving, from the remote provider edge nodes, route advertisements for a common subnet hosted on the remote provider edge nodes. The route advertisements include distinct remote route distinguishers, a common IP prefix for the common subnet, and remote paths for the common subnet. The method further includes determining whether there are at least a predetermined number of the remote paths preferred over a local path for the common subnet hosted on the provider edge node based on the remote route distinguishers and a local route distinguisher for the local path. The method includes, when there are at least the predetermined number of the remote paths preferred over the local path, suppressing sending of a route advertisement for the local path for the common subnet.