Abstract: In general, techniques for implementing a flow distribution service using a plurality of traffic nodes that may operate as processing nodes of a distributed computing system are described. In some examples, the traffic nodes in the aggregate form a virtual appliance configured to apply a network service to packet flows.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for aggregating, within a network device, internal forwarding routes for multiple control protocols and allocating next hops for the routes among individual service units of a decentralized control plane for the network device. The techniques may also include aggregating internal forwarding routes for data protocols and allocating next hops for the routes among individual forwarding units of a decentralized data plane for the network device. In one example, a mobile gateway includes a plurality of subscriber management service units that present a uniform interface to nodes within a mobile service provider network. An allocation manager apportions a control protocol session identifier namespace into a plurality of contiguous, non-overlapping protocol session identifier ranges and allocates the ranges among the service units.

Abstract: In general, a mobile virtual private network (VPN) is described in which service provider networks cooperate to dynamically extend a virtual routing area of a home service provider network to the edge of a visited service provider network and thereby enable IP address continuity for a roaming wireless device. In one example, a home service provider network allocates an IP address to a wireless device and establishes a mobile VPN. The home service provider network dynamically provisions a visited service provider network with the mobile VPN, when the wireless device attaches to an access network served by the visited service provider network, to enable the wireless device to exchange network traffic with the visited service provider network using the IP address allocated by the home service provider network.

Abstract: In general, techniques for implementing a flow distribution service using a plurality of traffic nodes that may operate as processing nodes of a distributed computing system are described. In some examples, the traffic nodes in the aggregate form a virtual appliance configured to apply a network service to packet flows.

Abstract: In general, techniques for implementing a flow distribution service using a plurality of traffic nodes that may operate as processing nodes of a distributed computing system are described. In some examples, the traffic nodes in the aggregate form a virtual appliance configured to apply a network service to packet flows.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for facilitating interchassis redundancy (ICR) among heterogenous mobile gateway member chassis that provide high-availability services as an group to one or more mobile subscribers. In one example, a member chassis of the mobile gateway comprises a control plane having a plurality of distributed subscriber management service units that serve as anchors for subscriber sessions. A redundancy group defines a backup association between one of the subscriber management service units and a subscriber management service unit of another member chassis of the mobile gateway. A routing unit of the member chassis comprises a resource manager that negotiates parameters for a communication channel for the redundancy group.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for decentralizing handling of subscriber sessions within a gateway device of a mobile network. A mobile network gateway comprises a data plane having a plurality of forwarding components to receive session requests from a mobile service provider network in which the mobile network gateway resides. A control plane comprises a plurality of distributed subscriber management service units coupled by a switch fabric to the data plane. Each of the subscriber management service units serve as anchors for communication sessions for mobile devices that are accessing one or more packet data network by the mobile service provider network. A request delegation module within each of the forwarding components directs the session requests to the subscriber management service units unit to provide management services for the sessions requested by the mobile device.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for aggregating, within a network device, internal forwarding routes for multiple control protocols and allocating next hops for the routes among individual service units of a decentralized control plane for the network device. The techniques may also include aggregating internal forwarding routes for data protocols and allocating next hops for the routes among individual forwarding units of a decentralized data plane for the network device. In one example, a mobile gateway includes a plurality of subscriber management service units that present a uniform interface to nodes within a mobile service provider network. An allocation manager apportions a control protocol session identifier namespace into a plurality of contiguous, non-overlapping protocol session identifier ranges and allocates the ranges among the service units.

Abstract: In general, the invention is directed to techniques for breaking out mobile data traffic from a mobile service provider network to a packet data network. For example, as described herein, a breakout gateway device (BGW) receives a first service request and data traffic for a data session associated with the requested service from a mobile device in a radio access network, wherein the first service request is addressed to a serving node of a mobile core network of the mobile service provider network, and wherein the data traffic is destined for the PDN. A control packet analysis module forwards the first service request from the breakout gateway device to the serving node. A breakout module of the BGW bypasses the serving node by sending the data traffic from the breakout gateway device to the PDN on a data path from the radio access network to the PDN.

Abstract: In general, a mobile virtual private network (VPN) is described in which service provider networks cooperate to dynamically extend a virtual routing area of a home service provider network to the edge of a visited service provider network and thereby enable IP address continuity for a roaming wireless device. In one example, a home service provider network allocates an IP address to a wireless device and establishes a mobile VPN. The home service provider network dynamically provisions a visited service provider network with the mobile VPN, when the wireless device attaches to an access network served by the visited service provider network, to enable the wireless device to exchange network traffic with the visited service provider network using the IP address allocated by the home service provider network.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for decentralizing handling of subscriber sessions within a gateway device of a mobile network. A mobile network gateway comprises a data plane having a plurality of forwarding components to receive session requests from a mobile service provider network in which the mobile network gateway resides. A control plane comprises a plurality of distributed subscriber management service units coupled by a switch fabric to the data plane. Each of the subscriber management service units serve as anchors for communication sessions for mobile devices that are accessing one or more packet data network by the mobile service provider network. A request delegation module within each of the forwarding components directs the session requests to the subscriber management service units unit to provide management services for the sessions requested by the mobile device.

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.

Abstract: In general, the invention is directed to techniques for breaking out mobile data traffic from a mobile service provider network to a packet data network. For example, as described herein, a breakout gateway device (BGW) receives a first service request and data traffic for a data session associated with the requested service from a mobile device in a radio access network, wherein the first service request is addressed to a serving node of a mobile core network of the mobile service provider network, and wherein the data traffic is destined for the PDN. A control packet analysis module forwards the first service request from the breakout gateway device to the serving node. A breakout module of the BGW bypasses the serving node by sending the data traffic from the breakout gateway device to the PDN on a data path from the radio access network to the PDN.