Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, and processes for link status propagation are provided. In modern networks, transmitting a single bit of information about link status of each host-side link in the network may require a large amount of data, consuming considerable bandwidth and processing power. To address these concerns, a network device having a plurality of host-side ports coupled to same ordinal processing units in a set of host devices and associated with a rail identifier is provided. The network device determines first link status information associated with communication links of the network device and receives second link status information from other network devices having rail identifiers that match the rail identifier of the network device. The network device transmits the first and second link status information to the same ordinal processing units and a host device aggregates link status information received at corresponding processing units to obtain a cluster wide view.

Abstract: Existing network architectures may experience latency variabilities due to varied cable lengths and diverse network paths available in a network fabric. Therefore, devices, systems, methods, and processes for facilitating enhanced latency-aware routing are described herein. A routing logic in a network fabric classifies two or more network paths, coupling a first network device to a second network device, into a plurality of groups based on latency attributes of the network paths. The routing logic in response to receiving a traffic flow at the first network device for the second network device, selects from the plurality of groups, a target group and routes the traffic flow to the second network device via at least one network path in the target group. If the target group includes more than one network path, the routing logic executes load balancing among a set of network paths classified into the target group.

Abstract: Devices, networks, systems, methods, and processes for onboarding a network device in a cluster in a Disaggregated Scheduled Fabric (DSF) are described herein. To associate with the cluster, the network device can determine a cluster size. The network device may determine a switch identifier based on the cluster size. The network device can reserve a set of system ports for in-band communication. The network device may assign at least one in-band communication interface to the set of system ports. The network device may instantiate a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instance for the at least one in-band communication interface. The network device can generate a custom Media Access Control (MAC) address and a custom Internet Protocol (IP) address based on the switch identifier. The network device may establish one or more in-band communication sessions with other network devices in the cluster based on the at least one in-band communication interface.

Abstract: Techniques are described for avoiding traffic black-holing in a multi-homed Ethernet virtual private networks (EVPNs) in which a customer device (CE) is multi-homed to a plurality of multi-homing provider edge devices (PEs) via respective links of an Ethernet segment. An overlay network is created over the Ethernet segment, and the multi-homing PEs of the EVPN are configured with a common anycast IP address for respective virtual network interfaces. Upon election as active designated forwarder (DF) for the EVPN, the DF PE of the multi-homing PEs advertises toward the customer network an IGP metric for the anycast IP address that is lower than the IGP metric(s) advertised by any of the non-DF standby PE routers segment to direct the CE to forward network packets from the customer network to the DF PE over the respective link of the Ethernet segment.

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: Techniques are described for avoiding traffic black-holing in a multi-homed Ethernet virtual private networks (EVPNs) in which a customer device (CE) is multi-homed to a plurality of multi-homing provider edge devices (PEs) via respective links of an Ethernet segment. An overlay network is created over the Ethernet segment, and the multi-homing PEs of the EVPN are configured with a common anycast IP address for respective virtual network interfaces. Upon election as active designated forwarder (DF) for the EVPN, the DF PE of the multi-homing PEs advertises toward the customer network an IGP metric for the anycast IP address that is lower than the IGP metric(s) advertised by any of the non-DF standby PE routers segment to direct the CE to forward network packets from the customer network to the DF PE over the respective link of the Ethernet segment.

Abstract: Techniques are described for avoiding traffic black-holing in a multi-homed Ethernet virtual private networks (EVPNs) in which a customer device (CE) is multi-homed to a plurality of multi-homing provider edge devices (PEs) via respective links of an Ethernet segment. An overlay network is created over the Ethernet segment, and the multi-homing PEs of the EVPN are configured with a common anycast IP address for respective virtual network interfaces. Upon election as active designated forwarder (DF) for the EVPN, the DF PE of the multi-homing PEs advertises toward the customer network an IGP metric for the anycast IP address that is lower than the IGP metric(s) advertised by any of the non-DF standby PE routers segment to direct the CE to forward network packets from the customer network to the DF PE over the respective link of the Ethernet segment.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for reducing forwarding loops for layer (L2) traffic that traverses an EVPN or PBB-EVPN instance (EVI) by deterministically determining an access-facing logical interface to block from respective access-facing logical interfaces of PE devices that switch the L2 traffic using the EVI. A provider edge (PE) network device may detect an L2 forwarding loop on an L2 forwarding path that includes the access-facing logical interface. In response to detecting an L2 forwarding loop and based at least on comparing an identifier for the local PE device and an identifier for a remote PE device that implements the EVPN instance, the PE device may block the access-facing logical interface to block L2 traffic from the local customer network.

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 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: In one example, a method includes performing L2 learning of a C-MAC address included in a first L2 data message by a first provider edge (PE) router included in an Ethernet Segment of a Provider-Backbone Bridging Ethernet Virtual Private Network (PBB-EVPN); sending to a second PE router within the Ethernet Segment an L2 control message comprising the C-MAC address and a B-MAC address corresponding to the Ethernet Segment of the PBB-EVPN, wherein the L2 control message informs the second PE router of the reachability of the C-MAC address through the first PE router; receiving, by the first PE router and from the second PE router, a second L2 data message as unicast traffic destined for the C-MAC address; and forwarding the second L2 data message to the first CE router.

Abstract: A provider edge (PE) device may receive an indication to perform a designated forwarder (DF) election associated with a network segment that includes the PE device, one or more other PE devices, and a client edge (CE) device. The PE device, the one or more other PE devices, and the CE device may be associated with an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) that includes a group of EVPN instances (EVIs). The PE device may perform the DF election in order to determine election information associated with the PE device. The election information may include information associated with a particular EVI, of the group of EVIs, for which the PE device is to act as a DF. The PE device may provide the election information to the CE device to cause the CE device to provide traffic, associated with a particular VLAN included in the particular EVI, to the PE device.

Abstract: In one example, a method includes performing L2 learning of a C-MAC address included in a first L2 data message by a first provider edge (PE) router included in an Ethernet Segment of a Provider-Backbone Bridging Ethernet Virtual Private Network (PBB-EVPN); sending to a second PE router within the Ethernet Segment an L2 control message comprising the C-MAC address and a B-MAC address corresponding to the Ethernet Segment of the PBB-EVPN, wherein the L2 control message informs the second PE router of the reachability of the C-MAC address through the first PE router; receiving, by the first PE router and from the second PE router, a second L2 data message as unicast traffic destined for the C-MAC address; and forwarding the second L2 data message to the first CE router.

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: 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: 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: In one example, a method includes performing L2 learning of a C-MAC address included in a first L2 data message by a first provider edge (PE) router included in an Ethernet Segment of a Provider-Backbone Bridging Ethernet Virtual Private Network (PBB-EVPN); sending to a second PE router within the Ethernet Segment an L2 control message comprising the C-MAC address and a B-MAC address corresponding to the Ethernet Segment of the PBB-EVPN, wherein the L2 control message informs the second PE router of the reachability of the C-MAC address through the first PE router; receiving, by the first PE router and from the second PE router, a second L2 data message as unicast traffic destined for the C-MAC address; and forwarding the second L2 data message to the first CE router.

Abstract: In one example, a method includes performing L2 learning of a C-MAC address included in a first L2 data message by a first provider edge (PE) router included in an Ethernet Segment of a Provider-Backbone Bridging Ethernet Virtual Private Network (PBB-EVPN); sending to a second PE router within the Ethernet Segment an L2 control message comprising the C-MAC address and a B-MAC address corresponding to the Ethernet Segment of the PBB-EVPN, wherein the L2 control message informs the second PE router of the reachability of the C-MAC address through the first PE router; receiving, by the first PE router and from the second PE router, a second L2 data message as unicast traffic destined for the C-MAC address; and forwarding the second L2 data message to the first CE router.

Abstract: A provider edge (PE) device may receive an indication to perform a designated forwarder (DF) election associated with a network segment that includes the PE device, one or more other PE devices, and a client edge (CE) device. The PE device, the one or more other PE devices, and the CE device may be associated with an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) that includes a group of EVPN instances (EVIs). The PE device may perform the DF election in order to determine election information associated with the PE device. The election information may include information associated with a particular EVI, of the group of EVIs, for which the PE device is to act as a DF. The PE device may provide the election information to the CE device to cause the CE device to provide traffic, associated with a particular VLAN included in the particular EVI, to the PE device.

Abstract: Techniques are described for avoiding traffic black-holing in a multi-homed Ethernet virtual private networks (EVPNs) in which a customer device (CE) is multi-homed to a plurality of multi-homing provider edge devices (PEs) via respective links of an Ethernet segment. An overlay network is created over the Ethernet segment, and the multi-homing PEs of the EVPN are configured with a common anycast IP address for respective virtual network interfaces. Upon election as active designated forwarder (DF) for the EVPN, the DF PE of the multi-homing PEs advertises toward the customer network an IGP metric for the anycast IP address that is lower than the IGP metric(s) advertised by any of the non-DF standby PE routers segment to direct the CE to forward network packets from the customer network to the DF PE over the respective link of the Ethernet segment.