In general, techniques are described for reducing or otherwise preventing micro-loops in network using Source Packet Routing in Networking (SPRING). In some examples, a method includes detecting a failure of a communication by a network device that implements a Source Packet Routing in Networking (SPRING) protocol to forward network packets using node labels according to an initial network topology. Responsive to detecting the failure of the communication link, the network device may apply, for a defined time duration, one or more adjacency labels to network packets to define a set of one-hop tunnels corresponding to a backup sub-path that circumvents the failed communication link. Upon expiration of the defined time duration, the network device may forward, according to a new network topology that is not based on applying the one or more adjacency labels that define the set of one-hop tunnels, network packets destined for the destination network device.

Transferring data in a network is disclosed. Transferring includes receiving a Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) frame, identifying a plurality of location specific identifiers in the PBT frame, mapping the PBT frame to a service based at least in part on the plurality of location specific identifiers, formatting the PBT frame according to the service to obtain a service frame, and transferring the service frame to a network associated with the service.

The invention includes a method and apparatus for distributing flooding labels within a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) infrastructure supporting Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Media Access Control (MAC) Virtual Private Networking (VPN).

A packet forwarding system includes: a plurality of first relay apparatuses connected to one another; a plurality of second relay apparatuses that include a plurality of ports and that are connected to the plurality of first relay apparatuses; and a control apparatus that configures a plurality of trunks, each serving as a virtual logical link, by using a plurality of physical links between the first relay apparatuses and the second relay apparatuses. The control apparatus determines a designated port for each of the plurality of trunks from among constituent ports of the each trunk. When one of the plurality of first relay apparatuses receives a predetermined control target packet from one of the plurality of second relay apparatuses, the control apparatus causes the plurality of first relay apparatuses to transmit the predetermined control target packet via a first relay apparatus including a designated port for one of the plurality of trunks, to which a port of the one first relay apparatus receiving the predetermined control target packet belongs.

The present disclosure provides for carrying downstream mapping information in an echo request message and/or echo reply message, which can describe both IP (Internet Protocol) multipath information and label multipath information. A transit node (e.g., an LSR element) that receives an echo request message from an initiator node determines downstream mapping information, which is returned to the initiator node. Transit node determines whether a newly defined type of multipath information (type 10) should be generated to return the downstream mapping information, based on whether transit node performs load balancing based on labels or IP header information, and whether transit node imposes entropy labels. A multipath information type 10 element includes either IP multipath information or label multipath information, as well as associated label multipath information that includes one or more entropy labels that map to the IP or label multipath information being returned.

In one embodiment, a device-independent label is associated with multiple network devices such that the packet switching devices in a network will forward a packet based on the device-independent label to one of these multiple network devices. In one embodiment, these device-independent labels include, but are not limited to, domain-identifying labels and forwarding-punt labels. In one embodiment, a domain-identifying label is defined as a label that identifies a plurality of network nodes without identifying a single particular network node, single particular interface, nor single particular link. In one embodiment, a first-domain forwarding-punt label is placed at the top of the label stack to identify to forward the label-switched packet to any one of a plurality of designated forwarding nodes corresponding to the first-domain forwarding-punt label (e.g., for sending to a packet switching device which will have forwarding information for the second domain-identifying label).

A first device may receive network traffic including a first label. The first label may be an inclusive multicast label associated with a second device. The second device may be a designated forwarder for an Ethernet segment. The first device may determine a second label based on receiving the network traffic including the first label. The second label may be used to route the network traffic to a customer edge device, via a third device, rather than the second device. The third device may be a non-designated forwarder for the Ethernet segment. The first device may provide the network traffic, including the second label, to the third device to permit the third device to provide, via the Ethernet segment, the network traffic to the customer edge device based on the second label when a failure occurs in association with the second device.

The embodiments disclose a method and communication node for configuring a multicast group in a Multiple Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. The method comprises: obtaining a multicast group configuration request to configure the multicast group of at least one downstream node in the MPLS network, the at least one downstream node may comprise a transit node, a leaf node or the combination thereof; generating a multicast group configuration packet based on the multicast group configuration request; and transmitting the multicast group configuration packet from the root node to the at least one transit node and/or leaf node via a multicast tree in the MPLS network.

Exemplary payment networks and methods are provided for facilitating data transfers. One exemplary method includes determining a subset of network routers that offer access to a regional hub based on network address summaries for first and second routers and prioritizing the first router over the second router, based on a specificity value of each of the first and second routers, as defined by the network address summaries. The method also includes checking whether a connection to the first router provides a viable data transfer path to the regional hub and recording the path to the first router in a routing table, when the connection to the first router is viable. Further, the method includes receiving a request to transfer data to the regional hub and transferring the data, via the path recorded in the routing table, to the regional hub.

Presented herein are techniques performed in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes the respective network nodes in a service path. At a network node, an indication is received of a failure or degradation of one or more service functions or applications applied to traffic at the network node. Data descriptive of the failure or degradation is generated. A previous service hop network node at which a service function or application was applied to traffic in the service path is determined. The data descriptive of the failure or degradation is communicated to the previous service hop network node.