Dynamic routing protocols using database synchronization

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a local network node, a remote additive hash representing one or more network-configuration items of a routing-data collection of a remote network node, wherein at least one of the network-configuration items of the remote additive hash includes reachability information for a network node of a computer network;

computing a local additive hash representing contents of a local routing-data collection of the local network node, based on hashes for a plurality of individual network configuration items of the local routing-data collection;

comparing the local additive hash with the remote additive hash;

responsive to determining that the remote additive hash does not match the local additive hash,

synchronizing the local routing-data collection with the routing-data collection of the remote network node of the computer network, which involves:

comparing the remote additive hash to one or more historical additive hashes for the local routing-data collection;

responsive to determining that the remote additive hash does not match at least one historical additive hash of the local routing-data collection, identifying and obtaining one or more network-configuration items from the routing-data collection of the remote network node that are missing from the local routing-data collection; and

adding the missing one or more network-configuration items to the local routing-data collection.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a filter from the remote network node, wherein the filter indicates selection criteria for selecting network-configuration items that are desired by the remote network node;

determining, from the local routing-data collection, a set of network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria; and

generating the local additive hash using the network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein synchronizing the routing-data collection involves:

generating a filtered collection of network-configuration items that includes, from the network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria, one or more network-configuration items that are missing from the remote routing-data collection; and

sending structured names for the network-configuration items of the filtered collection to the remote network node.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein synchronizing the local routing-data collection further involves:

comparing the remote additive hash to one or more historical additive hashes of the local routing-data collection to determine a matching historical additive hash; and

determining, based on the matching historical additive hash, one or more network-configuration items to send to the remote network node.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a network-configuration item that corresponds to a change in a network configuration of the computer network;

adding the network-configuration item to the local routing-data collection;

generating a new additive hash for the routing-data collection; and

responsive to adding the network-configuration item to the local routing-data collection, synchronizing the local routing-data collection with the remote network node of the computer network.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the network-configuration item includes a link-state advertisement (LSA) that reflects a change in state for a link of the computer network; and

wherein the method further comprises updating a forwarding table for the computer network to account for the link's updated state.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the new additive hash involves:

determining a hash for a previous LSA for the link;

subtracting the determined hash from the local additive hash for the local routing-data collection;

computing a hash for the obtained LSA; and

adding the computed hash to the local additive hash.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the network-configuration item includes an entry for a Prefix-to-Custodian table (PC table); and

wherein the method further comprises updating the PC table for the computer network to account for the network-configuration item.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the network-configuration item includes one or more entries for a Custodian-to-Endpoint table (CE table); and

wherein the method further comprises updating the CE table for the computer network to account for the network-configuration item.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a remote additive hash representing one or more network-configuration items of a routing-data collection of a remote network node, wherein the remote additive hash represents one or more network-configuration items of the routing-data collection of the remote network node, and wherein at least one of the network-configuration items of the remote additive hash includes reachability information for a network node of a computer network;

computing a local additive hash representing contents of a local routing-data collection of the local network node, based on hashes for a plurality of individual network configuration items of the local routing-data collection;

comparing the local additive hash with the remote additive hash;

responsive to determining that the remote additive hash does not match the local additive hash,

synchronizing the local routing-data collection with the routing-data collection of the remote network node of the computer network, which involves:

comparing the remote additive hash to one or more historical additive hashes for the local routing-data collection;

responsive to determining that the remote additive hash does not match at least one historical additive hash of the local routing-data collection, identifying and obtaining one or more network-configuration items from the routing-data collection of the remote network node that are missing from the local routing-data collection; and

adding the missing one or more network-configuration items to the local routing-data collection.

11. The storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a filter from the remote network node, wherein the filter indicates selection criteria for selecting network-configuration items that are desired by the remote network node;

determining, from the local routing-data collection, a set of network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria; and

generating the local additive hash using the network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria.

12. The storage medium of claim 11 , wherein synchronizing the routing-data collection involves:

generating a filtered collection of network-configuration items that includes, from the network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria, one or more network-configuration items that are missing from the remote routing-data collection; and

sending structured names for the network-configuration items of the filtered collection to the remote network node.

13. The storage medium of claim 10 ,

wherein synchronizing the local routing-data collection further involves:

comparing the remote additive hash to one or more historical additive hashes of the local routing-data collection to determine a matching historical additive hash; and

determining, based on the matching historical additive hash, one or more network-configuration items to send to the remote network node.

14. The storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating a network-configuration item that corresponds to a change in a network configuration of the computer network;

adding the network-configuration item to the local routing-data collection;

generating a new additive hash for the routing-data collection; and

responsive to adding the network-configuration item to the local routing-data collection, synchronizing the local routing-data collection with the remote network node of the computer network.

15. The storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the network-configuration item includes a data item selected from the group consisting of:

a link-state advertisement (LSA) that reflects a change in state for a link of the computer network;

an entry for a Prefix-to-Custodian table (PC table); and

one or more entries for a Custodian-to-Endpoint table (CE table).

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a data storage device storing instructions that when executed implement modules comprising:

a communication module to receive a remote additive hash representing one or more network-configuration items of a routing-data collection of a remote network node, wherein the remote additive hash represents one or more network-configuration items of the routing-data collection of the remote network node, and wherein at least one of the network-configuration items of the remote additive hash includes reachability information for a network node of a computer network;

a computing module to compute a local additive hash representing contents of a local routing-data collection stored in the memory of the local network node, based on hashes for a plurality of individual network configuration items of the local routing-data collection;

a collection-comparing module to compare the local additive hash with the remote additive hash;

a collection-synchronizing module to, in response to the collection-comparing module determining that the remote additive hash does not match the local additive hash,

synchronize the local routing-data collection stored in the memory with the remote network node of the computer network, which involves:

comparing the remote additive hash to one or more historical additive hashes for the local routing-data collection;

responsive to determining that the remote additive hash does not match at least one historical additive hash of the local routing-data collection, identifying and obtaining one or more network-configuration items from the routing-data collection of the remote network node that are missing from the local routing-data collection; and

adding the missing one or more network-configuration items to the local routing-data collection.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the communication module is further configured to receive a filter from the remote network node, wherein the filter indicates selection criteria for selecting network-configuration items that are desired by the remote network node;

wherein the collection-synchronizing module is further configured to determine, from the local routing-data collection, a set of network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria; and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a hash-computing module to generate the local additive hash using the network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the collection-synchronizing module is further configured to generate a filtered collection of network-configuration items that includes, from the network-configuration items that satisfy the filter's selection criteria, one or more network-configuration items that are missing from the remote routing-data collection; and

wherein the communication module is further configured to send structured names for the network-configuration items of the filtered collection to the remote network node.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 ,

wherein the collection-synchronizing module is further configured to:

compare the remote additive hash to one or more historical additive hashes of the local routing-data collection to determine a matching historical additive hash; and

determine, based on the matching historical additive hash, one or more network-configuration items to send to the remote network node.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a connectivity module to:

generate a network-configuration item that corresponds to a change in a network configuration of the computer network;

add the network-configuration item to the local routing-data collection;

configure the hash-computing module to generate a new additive hash for the routing-data collection; and

configure the collection-synchronizing module to synchronize the local routing-data collection with the remote network node of the computer network.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the network-configuration item includes a data item selected from the group consisting of:

a link-state advertisement (LSA) that reflects a change in state for a link of the computer network;

an entry for a Prefix-to-Custodian table (PC table); and

one or more entries for a Custodian-to-Endpoint table (CE table).