Routing data packets from a multihomed host

1. A method, comprising:

assigning a source address to a data packet to be sent from a multihomed host, said multihomed host having at least two associated network addresses, each of said at least two associated network addresses being associated with a corresponding one of at least two default gateways, and said source address being one of said at least two associated network addresses;

determining a destination address of said data packet;

searching a routing table of said multihomed host for a route for said data packet from a plurality of routes of said routing table, said route to match said destination address of said data packet, said routing table having a single default route associated with a particular single one of the at least two default gateways;

examining results of said searching; and

in response to one of no route found and a found route being the default route of said routing table associated with the particular single one of the at least two default gateways, selecting one of the at least two default gateways based on the assigned source address, and dispatching said data packet to said selected one of the at least two default gateways associated with said assigned source address to override the particular single one of the at least two default gateways determined using the routing table, wherein each of the above operations are performed in the multi-homed host.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to the found route being a gateway route

determining the default gateway associated with said assigned source address, and

dispatching said data packet to said default gateway associated with said assigned source address.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a source address assigner implemented on a network host, the source address assigner configured to assign a source address to a data packet to be sent from a multihomed host, said multihomed host having at least two associated network addresses, each of said at least two associated network addresses being associated with a corresponding one of at least two default gateways, and said source address being one of said at least two associated network addresses;

a destination address determinator implemented on the network host, the destination address determinator configured to determine a destination address of said data packet;

a routing table searcher implemented on the network host, the routing table searcher configured to search a routing table of said multihomed host for a route for said data packet from a plurality of routes of said routing table, said route to match said destination address of said data packet, said routing table having a single default route associated with a particular single one of the at least two default gateways;

a search examiner implemented on the network host, the search examiner configured to examine results of said search; and

an over-rider implemented on the network host, the over-rider configured, in response to one of no route found and a found route being the default route of said routing table associated with the particular single one of the at least two default gateways, to

select one of the at least two default gateways based on the assigned source address, and

dispatch said data packet to said selected one of the at least two default gateways associated with said assigned source address to override the particular single one of the at least two default gateways determined using the routing table, wherein the apparatus is the multi-homed host.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said over-rider is further configured, in response to the found route being a gateway route, to

determine the default gateway associated with said assigned source address, and

dispatch said data packet to said determined default gateway associated with said assigned source address.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a source address assigning means for assigning a source address to a data packet to be sent from a multihomed host, said multihomed host having at least two associated network addresses, each of said at least two associated network addresses being associated with a corresponding one of at least two default gateways, and said source address being one of said at least two associated network addresses;

a destination address determining means for determining a destination address of said data packet;

a routing table searching means for searching a routing table of said multihomed host for a route for said data packet from a plurality of routes of said routing table, said route to match said destination address of said data packet, said routing table having a single default route associated with a particular single one of the at least two default gateways;

a search examining means for examining results of said searching; and

means for over-riding configured, in response to one of no route found and a found route being the default route of said routing table associated with the particular single one of the at least two default gateways, for selecting one of the at least two default gateways based on the assigned source address, and

dispatching said data packet to said selected one of the at least two default gateways associated with said assigned source address to override the particular single one of the at least two default gateways determined using the routing table, wherein the apparatus is the multi-homed host.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said means for over-riding is further configured for, in response to the found route being a gateway route:

determining the default gateway associated with said assigned source address; and

dispatching said data packet to said default gateway associated with said assigned source address.

7. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program controlling a data-processing device to perform a process, the process comprising:

assigning a source address to a data packet to be sent from a multihomed host, said multihomed host having at least two associated network addresses, each of said at least two associated network addresses being associated with a corresponding one of at least two default gateways, and said source address being one of said at least two associated network addresses;

determining a destination address of said data packet;

searching a routing table of said multihomed host for a route for said data packet from a plurality of routes of said routing table, said route to match said destination address of said data packet, said routing table having a single default route associated with a particular single one of the at least two default gateways;

examining results of said searching; and

in response to one of no route found and a found route being the default route of said routing table associated with the particular single one of the at least two default gateways, selecting one of the at least two default gateways based on the assigned source address, and

dispatching said data packet to said selected one of the at least two default gateways associated with said assigned source address to override the particular single one of the at least two default gateways determined using the routing table, wherein the above operations are performed in the multi-homed host.

8. The computer program according to claim 7 , wherein the process further comprises:

in response to the found route being a gateway route

determining the default gateway associated with said assigned source address, and

dispatching said data packet to said default gateway associated with said assigned source address.