Abstract: A method for synchronizing a binding process among a group of network devices connected to a server that is multi-homed to the group of network devices in provided. The method is executed by a first network device among the group of network devices and includes: receiving, from the server, network traffic associated with a host executing on the server; configuring, using the network traffic, a binding between the first network device and the host and setting a binding status of the first network device for the host to a first status; and transmitting, in response to the setting and via an out-of-band (OOB) channel to a second network device among the plurality of network devices, first binding instructions for causing the second network device set a binding status of the second network device for the host to a second status different from the first status.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to a method for managing network devices in a network. The method includes making, by a network device, a determination that there are no established sessions between the network device and any of a plurality of network devices, wherein the network comprises the network device and the plurality of network devices, and in response to the determination, disabling, by the network device, an interface associated with a link between the network device and a second network device, wherein the second network device is external to the network.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to a method for managing network devices in a network. The method includes making, by a network device, a determination that there are no established sessions between the network device and any of a plurality of network devices, wherein the network comprises the network device and the plurality of network devices, and in response to the determination, disabling, by the network device, an interface associated with a link between the network device and a second network device, wherein the second network device is external to the network.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing a binding process among a group of network devices connected to a server that is multi-homed to the group of network devices in provided. The method is executed by a first network device among the group of network devices and includes: receiving, from the server, network traffic associated with a host executing on the server; configuring, using the network traffic, a binding between the first network device and the host and setting a binding status of the first network device for the host to a first status; and transmitting, in response to the setting and via an out-of-band (OOB) channel to a second network device among the plurality of network devices, first binding instructions for causing the second network device set a binding status of the second network device for the host to a second status different from the first status.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for a mechanism for faster convergence of network traffic after a network device's link is interrupted by leveraging the withdrawal of the ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) auto discovery (AD) route. This may be accomplished by a first device checking an ethernet segment identifier (ESI) status flag before generating an entry in the first device's forwarding table, where the entry is based on an IP route for a host received by a second network device. In response to receiving a withdrawal of an EVPN AD route from the second device, the first device may update the ESI status flag to indicate that the host on the ethernet segment (ES) is reachable only via the third device and update the entry that was based on the IP route for the host received by the second network device to prevent sending traffic to the host via the second device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for allocating the same ESI label on multihomed peers for a given ES. In some embodiments, each network device that provides multihoming to a host using an ES, advertises EVPN AD per ES routes to each other, wherein the EVPN AD per ES routes comprise an ESI label associated with the ES. Because the network devices advertise the same ESI label for the ES, a first network device generates a bitmap. The first network device uses the bitmap to include the advertised ESI label in replicated packets that the first network device forwards to the other network devices that provide multihoming to the host via the ES. The network devices that consider themselves non-DF devices will drop the packet. The network devices that consider themselves the DF device will not forward the packet to the host via the ES because of the ESI label.

Abstract: Peer devices in a peer group of provider edge devices to which a customer edge device is multi-homed, advertise Selective Multicast Ethernet Tag (SMET) routes to other peer devices on a core to receive traffic addressed to a multicast group. The peer devices in the peer group advertise the SMET routes irrespective of whether they are the designated forwarder or not. A peer device receiving traffic for the multicast group will drop the packet if it is not the designated forwarder and will forward the packet if it is the designated forwarder.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to techniques for designated forwarder (DF) elections, which may include: obtaining DF candidates that are part of a supplementary broadcast domain (SBD), wherein the DF candidate is one of the plurality of DF candidates for the SBD; performing a SBD DF election process to determine an SBD DF winner from among the DF candidates; making a first determination that the DF candidate is not the SBD DF winner; making second determination that a first broadcast domain (BD) provisioned on the DF candidate is not provisioned on the SBD DF winner; excluding the first BD from a set of BDs that are also provisioned on the SBD DF winner; performing additional DF election processes for each BD of the set of BDs; and processing multicast traffic based at least in part on the SBD DF election process and the additional DF election processes.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to techniques for designated forwarder (DF) elections, which may include: obtaining DF candidates that are part of a supplementary broadcast domain (SBD), wherein the DF candidate is one of the plurality of DF candidates for the SBD; performing a SBD DF election process to determine an SBD DF winner from among the DF candidates; making a first determination that the DF candidate is not the SBD DF winner; making second determination that a first broadcast domain (BD) provisioned on the DF candidate is not provisioned on the SBD DF winner; excluding the first BD from a set of BDs that are also provisioned on the SBD DF winner; performing additional DF election processes for each BD of the set of BDs; and processing multicast traffic based at least in part on the SBD DF election process and the additional DF election processes.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for allocating the same ESI label on multihomed peers for a given ES. In some embodiments, each network device that provides multihoming to a host using an ES, advertises EVPN AD per ES routes to each other, wherein the EVPN AD per ES routes comprise an ESI label associated with the ES. Because the network devices advertise the same ESI label for the ES, a first network device generates a bitmap. The first network device uses the bitmap to include the advertised ESI label in replicated packets that the first network device forwards to the other network devices that provide multihoming to the host via the ES. The network devices that consider themselves non-DF devices will drop the packet. The network devices that consider themselves the DF device will not forward the packet to the host via the ES because of the ESI label.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein provide a method for configuring a network in DCI environment. An EVPN session is established between a first gateway device of a first network, and a second gateway device of a second network that are linked by L2 DCI link. An ESI is allocated for that EVPN session. A label is created for every combination of the ESI and media access control virtual routing and forwarding table (MAC VRF) that is locally configured at the first gateway device. An EVPN path is received for a host in the first network that is associated with MAC VRF. The path in imported the first MAC VRF by the first gateway device and exported via the inter-DCI EVPN session. The second gateway device identifies a label for MAC and re-exports it in local EVPN session with the identified label.

Abstract: A method for initializing the border gateway protocol (BGP) on network devices. The method includes initializing a plurality of BGP convergence variables corresponding to a plurality of BGP sessions with a plurality of peer network devices. The first network device initializes the plurality of BGP sessions with the plurality of peer network devices, and receives from each of the plurality of peer network devices, route updates and a plurality of markers. The BGP convergence variables are updated and it is determined that first network device has received all the route updates. The duration of the BGP session is less than a C_TIMEOUT value for that peer network device, exceeds an I_P_TIMEOUT value, where the C_TIMEOUT value is greater than the I_P_TIMEOUT value. The first network device updates a routing information base (RIB) using the route updates and updates a forwarding information base (FIB) using the updated RIB.

Abstract: A network element is provided. The network element includes a tunneling endpoint having a virtual address. The tunneling endpoint is configured to receive an address resolution reply that has a destination MAC (media access control) address matching the virtual address of the tunneling endpoint and is from a network device in a first network that includes the tunneling endpoint. The tunneling endpoint is further configured to send the address resolution reply via an interconnect to a further tunneling endpoint in a further network. A method for address resolution in virtual extensible networks is also provided.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein provide a method for configuring a network in DCI environment. An EVPN session is established between a first gateway device of a first network, and a second gateway device of a second network that are linked by L2 DCI link. An ESI is allocated for that EVPN session. A label is created for every combination of the ESI and media access control virtual routing and forwarding table (MAC VRF) that is locally configured at the first gateway device. An EVPN path is received for a host in the first network that is associated with MAC VRF. The path in imported the first MAC VRF by the first gateway device and exported via the inter-DCI EVPN session. The second gateway device identifies a label for MAC and re-exports it in local EVPN session with the identified label.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for a mechanism for faster convergence of network traffic after a network device's link is interrupted by leveraging the withdrawal of the ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) auto discovery (AD) route. This may be accomplished by a first device checking an ethernet segment identifier (ESI) status flag before generating an entry in the first device's forwarding table, where the entry is based on an IP route for a host received by a second network device. In response to receiving a withdrawal of an EVPN AD route from the second device, the first device may update the ESI status flag to indicate that the host on the ethernet segment (ES) is reachable only via the third device and update the entry that was based on the IP route for the host received by the second network device to prevent sending traffic to the host via the second device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes determining that a network device should use an underlay multicast group associated with an overlay multicast group for multicast traffic. The underlay multicast group carries multicast traffic for the overlay multicast group. The overlay multicast group is associated with a virtual private network. The method also includes determining an underlay multicast group address for the underlay multicast group. The overlay multicast group is associated with an overlay multicast group address. A first portion of the underlay multicast group address is a function of the overlay multicast group address. The method further includes forwarding one or more multicast packets to one or more multicast receivers via the underlay multicast group using the underlay multicast group address.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing neighbor equivalence groups on a network device are provided, where a neighbor equivalence group is a group of peers of the network device that communicate identical control plane state information for a given network protocol to the network device. In the context of Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), these techniques can include (1) creating, by the network device, a neighbor equivalence group for a set of BGP peers that advertise the same BGP paths to the device, (2) maintaining, by the network device, a single path database for the neighbor equivalence group (rather than one path database for each BGP peer in the group), and (3) immediately processing by the network device, BGP path update/withdrawal messages received from any of the BGP peers in the group against the single path database, without waiting for the same message to be received from every peer.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing neighbor equivalence groups on a network device are provided, where a neighbor equivalence group is a group of peers of the network device that communicate identical control plane state information for a given network protocol to the network device. In the context of Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), these techniques can include (1) creating, by the network device, a neighbor equivalence group for a set of BGP peers that advertise the same BGP paths to the device, (2) maintaining, by the network device, a single path database for the neighbor equivalence group (rather than one path database for each BGP peer in the group), and (3) immediately processing. by the network device, BGP path update/withdrawal messages received from any of the BGP peers in the group against the single path database, without waiting for the same message to be received from every peer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes determining that a network device should use an underlay multicast group associated with an overlay multicast group for multicast traffic. The underlay multicast group carries multicast traffic for the overlay multicast group. The overlay multicast group is associated with a virtual private network. The method also includes determining an underlay multicast group address for the underlay multicast group. The overlay multicast group is associated with an overlay multicast group address. A first portion of the underlay multicast group address is a function of the overlay multicast group address. The method further includes forwarding one or more multicast packets to one or more multicast receivers via the underlay multicast group using the underlay multicast group address.

Abstract: A method for initializing the border gateway protocol (BGP) on network devices. The method includes initializing, by a first network device, a BPG session with a second network device. The method further includes receiving, by the first network device from the second network device, route updates and an end of routing information base (EOR) marker. The method further includes updating an n_EOR variable maintained by the first network device after receiving the EOR marker and, after updating the n_EOR variable, determining that the first network device has received route updates from all peer network devices, and subsequently updating, in the first network device, a routing information base (RIB) using route updates received from the peer network devices. The method further includes updating, in the first network device, a forwarding information base (FIB) using the updated RIB and advertising, to all peer network devices by the first network device, routes.