Engineered paths in a link state protocol controlled ethernet network

摘要

Traffic Engineered (TE) paths may be created over a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network by causing explicit paths to be installed by network elements on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network and used to forward traffic on the network. The network elements exchange routing information using link state advertisements to enable each node on the network to build a link state database that may be used to determine shortest paths through the network. The shortest paths are used as a default forwarding state for traffic that is not associated with one of the traffic engineered paths. The link state advertisements may also be used to carry the TE path definitions. Where the TE paths are to be used exclusive of other routes, forwarding state for particular service instances may be removed to prevent traffic from traversing the network other than over the TE path.