PROVISIONING SINGLE OR MULTISTAGE NETWORKS USING ETHERNET SERVICE INSTANCES (ESIs)

摘要

Techniques for provisioning single or multistage networks using Ethernet Service Instances (ESIs). In one embodiment, an ESI is a logical entity or object that stores information that may be used to provision a network. An ESI may represent a logical entity that identifies a grouping of elements of a network or network device and associated attributes. Hierarchical relationships may be created between ESIs. The hierarchical relationships are used to perform packet-level processing including performing network packet encapsulations.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a plurality of ports configurable to receive and forward data; and a processor configurable to:
enable creation of a parent service instance, the parent service instance specifying both a network as an element of the parent service instance and one or more packet encapsulation attributes values;enable creation of a child service instance, the child service instance specifying a set of one or more networks and one or more packet encapsulation attribute values as elements of the child service instance;enable a hierarchical relationship to be created between the parent service instance and the child service instance by specifying the child service instance as an element of the parent service instance, the hierarchical relationship causing the one or more networks specified as elements of the child service instance to be aggregated and carried over the network specified as an element of the parent service instance, and the hierarchical relationship causing the parent service instance to incorporate the one or more encapsulation attribute values of the child service instance; andperform packet encapsulation for packets moving from the one or more networks specified as elements of the child service instance to the network specified as an element of the parent service instance based upon the one or more encapsulation attribute values that the parent service instance incorporates from the child service instance.