Telecommunications & Networking

This technology enables directed broadcasts in network fabrics. A control plane node is configured to resolve directed broadcast addresses by mapping the directed broadcast address to a subnet address. A fabric border node receives a directed broadcast, extracts a destination address, and transmits a request to the control plane node to resolve the destination address. The control plane node retrieves the stored mapping and generates a map reply with a multicast destination. The fabric border node encapsulates and forwards the directed broadcast to fabric edge nodes, which decapsulate the directed broadcast and deliver a data set from the directed broadcast to appropriate end point devices. Each fabric edge node may be enabled to determine if the fabric edge node may be connected to a silent host and, based on that determination, request the fabric border node to be added to the multicast destination to receive the directed broadcast.

Techniques for initiator-based data-plane validation of segment routed, multiprotocol label switched (MPLS) networks are described herein. In examples, an initiating node may determine to validate data-plane connectivity associated with a network path of the MPLS network. The initiating node may store validation data in a local memory of the initiating node. In examples, the initiating node may send a probe message that includes a request for identification data associated with a terminating node. The terminating node may send a probe reply message that includes the identification data, as well as, in some examples, a code that instructs the initiating node to perform validation. In examples, the initiating node may use the validation data stored in memory to compare to the identification data received from the terminating node to validate data-plane connectivity. In some examples, the initiating node may indicate a positive or negative response after performing the validation.