Methods and devices for selecting internet routing paths
View Patent ↗Network convergence is greatly reduced because new routing paths are only selected when they are substantially better than pre-existing, best available paths.
1. A method for selecting Internet routing paths comprising:
comparing a metric, associated with a next available path for routing a packet, to a threshold metric associated with a pre-existing path; and
selecting the next available path as a best available path when the metric associated with the next available path equals or exceeds the threshold metric; and
advertising a new path when the next available path is selected as the best available path.
2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
determining whether the pre-existing path traverses a neighboring node which has advertised the next available path; and
selecting the next available path provided the next available path is the best path among all known paths when it is determined that the pre-existing path traverses a neighboring node that has advertised the next available path.
3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the comparison and selection occurs at a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) router.
4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the metric is selected from a group consisting of at least cost, length, channel quality and error rate.
5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the metric associated with the next available path is configurable.
6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising configuring the metric associated with the next available path at a router.
7. A device for selecting Internet routing paths operable to:
compare a metric, associated with a next available path for routing a packet, to a threshold metric associated with a pre-existing path; and
select the next available path as a best available path when the metric associated with the next available path equals or exceeds the threshold metric; and
advertise a new path when the next available path is selected as the best available path.
8. The device as in claim 7 further operable to:
determine whether the pre-existing path traverses a neighboring node which has advertised the next available path; and
select the next available path provided the next available path is the best path among all known paths when it is determined that the pre-existing path traverses a neighboring node that has advertised the next available path.
9. The device as in claim 7 wherein the device comprises a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) router.
10. The device as in claim 7 wherein the metric is selected from a group consisting of at least cost, length, channel quality and error rate.
11. The device as in claim 7 wherein the metric associated with the next available path is configurable.