Abstract:
A network architecture in accordance with the present invention includes a communication network that supports one or more network-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The communication network includes a plurality of boundary routers that are connected by access links to CPE edge routers belonging to the one or more VPNs. To prevent traffic from outside a customer's VPN (e.g., traffic from other VPNs or the Internet at large) from degrading the QoS provided to traffic from within the customer's VPN, the present invention gives precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic on each customer's access link through access link prioritization or access link capacity allocation, such that extra-VPN traffic cannot interfere with inter-VPN traffic. Granting precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic in this manner entails special configuration of network elements and protocols, including partitioning between intra-VPN and extra-VPN traffic on the physical access link using layer 2 multiplexing and the configuration of routing protocols to achieve logical traffic separation between intra-VPN traffic and extra-VPN traffic at the VPN boundary routers and CPE edge routers. By configuring the access networks, the VPN boundary routers and CPE edge routers, and the routing protocols of the edge and boundary routers in this manner, the high-level service of DoS attack prevention is achieved.
Abstract:
A data network may include an upstream router having one or more data handling queues, a downstream router, and a policy server. In one embodiment, the policy server includes processing resources, a communication interface in communication with the processing resources, and data storage that stores a configuration manager executable by the processing resources. The configuration manager configures data handling queues of the upstream router to provide a selected bandwidth to one or more of a plurality of service classes of data flows. In addition, the configuration manager transmits to the downstream router one or more virtual pool capacities, each corresponding to a bandwidth at the upstream router for one or more associated service classes among the plurality of service classes. In one embodiment, the configuration manager configures the data handling queues on the upstream router only in response to acknowledgment that one or more virtual pool capacities transmitted to the downstream router were successfully installed.
Abstract:
A network architecture includes a communication network that supports one or more network-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The communication network includes a plurality of boundary routers that are connected by access links to CPE edge routers belonging to the one or more VPNs. To prevent traffic from outside a customer's VPN (e.g., traffic from other VPNs or the Internet at large) from degrading the QoS provided to traffic from within the customer's VPN, the present invention gives precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic on each customer's access link through access link prioritization or access link capacity allocation, such that extra-VPN traffic cannot interfere with inter-VPN traffic. Granting precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic in this manner entails partitioning between intra-VPN and extra-VPN traffic on the physical access link using layer 2 multiplexing and configuration of routing protocols to achieve logical traffic separation between intra-VPN traffic and extra-VPN traffic at the VPN boundary routers and CPE edge routers. By configuring the access networks, the VPN boundary routers and CPE edge routers, and the routing protocols of the edge and boundary routers in this manner, the high-level service of DoS attack prevention is achieved.
Abstract:
In one embodiment of the invention, a network system includes a boundary router, a second router, and an upstream link of the second router coupled between to the output port of the boundary router and an input port of the second router. The second router includes an admission control function and a data plane. In response to a request to reserve resources for a flow through the second router, the admission control function performs admission control for both the upstream link and its downstream link. In a preferred embodiment, the second router performs admission control for the upstream link only if the second router is a receiving edge router for the flow. Because the second router performs admission control for its upstream link, the boundary router transmits the request toward an upstream router without performing admission control for the link.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a network system of the present invention includes at least a first router and a second router coupled to an upstream link to permit data flow from the first router to the second router across the upstream link. The second router includes a control plane and a data plane having an input port coupled to the upstream link and an output port connectable to a downstream link. The control plane includes a virtual pool having a capacity corresponding to a resource capacity of the first router and an admission control function. In response to a request to reserve resources for a flow through the data plane from the input port to the output port, the admission control function performs admission control for the upstream link by reference to resource availability within the virtual pool. In one embodiment, the request is a request to reserve resources for an Integrated Services flow, and the capacity of the virtual pool corresponds to a resource capacity of a Integrated Services service class supported by the first router.