Role based router functionality

Abstract

Configuration of tunnel, firewall and/or other positional based functionality for routers operating within a multi-router network is contemplated. The functionality configured for one or more of the routers may be implemented automatically without manual input or identification, such as to facilitate an off-the-shelf implementation process where positioning and attendant functionality is routinely implemented according to a predefined set of roles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of non-transitory instructions sufficient to facilitate tunnel functionality within a multi-router network having a plurality of routers arranged in a logical hierarchy, the non-transitory instructions being sufficient for:
 determining edge router (ER) information for a one of the plurality of routers arranged in the logical hierarch as an ER; and   terminating a tunnel originating with a first internal router (IR) of the plurality of routers at the ER based at least in part on the ER information, the first IR being arranged in the logical hierarchy downstream of the ER.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for:
 determining an ER address for the ER from the ER information; and 
 determining a tunnel request transmitted from the first IR to instigate the tunnel being addressed to the ER address. 
 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 2  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for setting an ER identification option code for a solicit message transmitted from the first IR to the ER, the ER identification option code instructing the ER to include the ER address within a corresponding response message processed at the first IR to determine the ER address. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 2  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for:
 determining services information for a device connected downstream of the first IR; and 
 transporting the services information from the first IR to the ER through the tunnel. 
 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 4  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for:
 determining the services information to be included within a frame transmitted from the device to the first IR; and 
 encapsulating the frame within one or more headers for transport from the first IR to the ER through the tunnel. 
 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 5  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for including an outer Internet Protocol (IP) header as one of the one or more headers, the outer IP header including the ER address as an outer source address and a first address assigned to the first IR as an outer destination address. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 6  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for including a tunnel header as one of the one or more headers, the tunnel header including a tunnel identifier (ID) assigned to the tunnel. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for determining the tunnel ID from a tunnel response transmitted from the ER to the first IR in response to receipt of the tunnel request. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for including an outer Ethernet header as one of the one or more headers, the outer Ethernet header including an outer destination Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the ER and an outer source MAC address assigned to the first IR. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for including an outer User Datagram Protocol (UDP) header as one of the one or more headers, the outer UDP header including a source port having a dynamic value generated by hashing a portion of the frame and a destination port having a default value assigned to the tunnel. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 5  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for determining the frame to be formatted as a Link Layer Discovery Protocol data unit (LLDPDU). 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for determining the frame to include an inner destination Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the first IR and an inner source MAC address assigned to the device. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 5  further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient for encapsulating the frame for transport through the tunnel via a second IR connected between the ER and the first IR, the second IR lacking capabilities for communicating services information to the ER for devices connected thereto. 
     
     
         14 . A multi-router networking system comprising:
 an edge router (ER) configured to interface packets between an inside network and an outside network;   a non-home Internet Protocol (IP) network (non-HIPnet) router configured to interface packets between the home network and at least a first device connected downstream thereof;   a HIPnet router configured to interface packets between the non-HIPnet router and at least a second device connected downstream thereof, the HIPnet router configured to:   i) create a tunnel terminating at the ER through the non-HIPnet router; and   ii) encapsulate service information determined for the second device for transport within the tunnel to the ER.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the HIPnet router is configured to transmit a tunnel request through the non-HIPnet router to an ER address associated with the ER router, the tunnel request being sufficient to instigate the tunnel with the ER. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the HIPnet router is configured to:
 set an ER identification option code for a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) solicit message transmitted through the non-HIPnet router to the ER; and 
 determine the ER address from information included a response message transmitted from the ER in response to receipt of the DHCP solicit message. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the HIPnet router is configured to:
 determine the services information from a frame transmitted from the second device, the frame being formatted as a Link Layer Discovery Protocol data unit (LLDPDU) and having an inner destination Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the HIPnet router and an inner source MAC address assigned to the second device; 
 encapsulate the frame within a plurality of headers for transport to the ER through the tunnel, the plurality of headers including: 
 i) an outer Internet Protocol (IP) header having the ER address as an outer source address and a first address assigned to the HIPnet router as an outer destination address; 
 ii) a tunnel header having a tunnel identifier (ID) assigned to the tunnel; 
 iii) an outer Ethernet header having an outer destination Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the ER and an outer source MAC address assigned to the HIPnet router; and 
 iv) an outer User Datagram Protocol (UDP) having a source port with a dynamic value generated by hashing a portion of the frame and a destination port with a default value assigned to the tunnel. 
 
     
     
         18 . A router comprising:
 a plurality of interfaces configured for routing data packets, including at least one up interface and at least one down interface;   a position detection module configured to determine a position of the router within a multi-router network to be one of an edge position and an internal position; and   a tunnel module configured to:   i) implement a tunnel endpoint (TEP) sufficient for decapsulating frames encapsulated within a tunnel terminating at at least one of the down interface when the position is determined to be the edge position;   ii) create a tunnel at one of the at least one up interface to terminate at an edge router (ER) in the multi-router network determined to be at the edge position when the position is determined to be the internal position.   
     
     
         19 . The router of  claim 18  wherein:
 the position detection module is configured to: 
 i) set an ER identification option code for a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) solicit message transmitted through the at least one up interface; 
 ii) determine an ER address from information included in a response message transmitted from the ER; and 
 the tunnel module is configured to transmit a tunnel request to the ER address to create the tunnel terminating at the ER. 
 
     
     
         20 . The router of  claim 18  wherein the tunnel module is configured to:
 determine services information for a device connected to the at least one down interface; and 
 encapsulate the services information within one or more headers for transport through the tunnel to the ER.