Patent ID: 9537672
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a user network interface (UNI) in a third-party operator network, an Ethernet-local management interface (E-LMI) packet, wherein the E-LMI packet is sent by a virtual user network interface (VUNI) in a service provider network, and a destination media access control (DMAC) address of the E-LMI packet is a unicast DMAC address; converting, by the UNI, the unicast DMAC address in the E-LMI packet into a multicast DMAC address through a network interface device, wherein the third-party operator network provides a pipeline between the service provider network and a customer edge (CE) device in a customer network, the third-party operator network being separate and distinct from both the service provider network and the customer network; and sending, by the UNI, the converted E-LMI packet to the CE device that is connected with a remote user network interface (RUNI) through the RUNI in the third-party operator network; wherein the VUNI is configured to manage the RUNI, the RUNI being correlated with a specific Ethernet virtual connection (EVC) in the third-party operator network; wherein the E-LMI packet carries configuration information or fault information of the RUNI; and wherein, when the E-LMI packet carries the fault information of the RUNI, the E-LMI packet comprises a RUNI summary sub-information element field and a RUNI status sub-information element field.