Message transmission in virtual private networks

摘要

The disclosure relates to a method for transmitting a message in a Hierarchical Layer 2 Virtual Private Network (H-L2VPN). A destination MAC address, to which a message is to be forwarded upon receiving the message, is determined by a first peer node of the network. The first peer node determines whether one or more equivalent pseudo wires (PWs) connected thereto form a path to the destination MAC address. When it is determined that more than one equivalent PW forms a path to the destination MAC address, an arbitrary equivalent PW is selected from the more than one equivalent PW by the first peer node. The first peer node sends the message, via the selected equivalent PW, to a second peer node of the network connected to the selected equivalent PW for forwarding to the destination MAC address.

主权项

1. A method for transmitting a message in a Hierarchical Layer 2 Virtual Private Network (H-L2VPN) comprising:
a first peer node of the network determining a destination MAC address to which a message is to be forwarded upon receiving the message; determining whether the destination MAC address is present in a MAC table maintained by the first peer node; in response to a determination that the destination MAC address is not present in the MAC table, the first peer node selecting a pseudo-wire (PW) from a plurality of PWs connected to the destination MAC address and broadcasting the message to the network via the selected PW; in response to a determination that the destination MAC address is present in the MAC table, the first peer node obtaining a hash value of the message, selecting a PW from the plurality of PWs based on the obtained hash value of the message, and sending the message to the destination MAC address via the selected PW; the first peer node determining whether a source MAC address from which the message is received is in a MAC table maintained by the first peer node; and in response to a determination that the source MAC address is not in the MAC table, the first peer node learning a path along which the message is received from the source MAC address and recording in the MAC table the source MAC address together with the learned path as routing information of the source MAC address.