Patent ID: 9270581
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method for mitigating data loss during failover and recovery in a VPLS multi-homed network, the method comprising: providing a VPLS multi-homed network comprising a first plurality of provider edge (“PE”) routers on a first point of presence (“POP”) within a service provider network and a second plurality of PE routers on a second POP within the service provider network, the first plurality of PE routers including a first primary PE router, the second plurality of PE routers including a second primary PE router, each of the first plurality of PE routers in network communication with a first set of customer edge (“CE”) devices located within one or more customer sites outside of the service provider network and served by the first POP, wherein the first set of CE devices provide access to a plurality of virtual local area networks (“VLANs”), wherein a first CE device in the first set of CE devices is assigned a lowest numbered site ID from among the first set of CE devices, each of the second plurality of PE routers in network communication with a second set of CE devices located within a plurality of customer sites outside of the service provider network and served by the second POP, wherein the second set of CE devices provide access to the plurality of VLANs, wherein a second CE device in the second set of CE devices is assigned a lowest numbered site ID from among the second set of CE devices; establishing a first primary link between the first primary PE router and the first CE device; establishing a second primary link between the second primary PE router and the second CE device; establishing a first stability site within the service provider network; associating the first stability site with a first interface that is configured to remain operational at all times; communicatively coupling the first stability site to at least the first primary PE router via a first stable virtual circuit; assigning the first stability site with a first virtual site ID, the first virtual site ID being lower than the site ID assigned to the first CE device; establishing a second stability site within the service provider network; associating the second stability site with a second interface that is configured to remain operational at all times; communicatively coupling the second stability site to at least the second primary PE router via a second stable virtual circuit; assigning the second stability site with a second virtual site ID, the second virtual site ID being lower than the site ID assigned to the second CE device; and in response to at least one of the first primary link or the second primary link failing, establishing one or more backup virtual circuits between the first plurality of PE routers and the second plurality of PE routers, without destroying any of the first or second stable virtual circuits.