System and method for managing bandwidth usage rates in a packet-switched network

1. A system for managing bandwidth usage rates in a network that includes a plurality of provider interfaces configured to enable one or more routers to communicate with one or more Internet service providers, the system including one or more servers configured to communicate with the one or more routers, the one or more servers having memory for storing computer program instructions and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to execute the computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising:

collecting data relating to data flows for each provider interface of the plurality of provider interfaces, the data including bandwidth statistics;

identifying network prefixes for each provider interface that carry Internet traffic based on the data collected;

probing network prefixes at each provider interface of the plurality of provider interfaces to measure network prefix performance metrics of each provider interface;

determining network prefixes from the network prefixes identified that can be reassigned from a first provider interface to one or more candidate provider interfaces capable of receiving rerouted Internet traffic;

removing an undesirable candidate provider interface from the one or more provider interfaces (1) if a network prefix of the network prefixes that are determined as capable of being reassigned is not accessible through the undesirable candidate provider interface, (2) if the performance metrics of the undesirable candidate provider interface are worse than the first provider interface, (3) if current bandwidth usage rate for the network prefix determined as capable of being reassigned exceeds the bandwidth usage rate limit or (4) if a bandwidth usage rate at the undesirable candidate provider interface will exceed a bandwidth usage rate limit, if a network prefix is reassigned to the candidate provider interface; and

rerouting Internet traffic from the first provider interface to a second provider interface of the one or more candidate provider interfaces not removed that is capable of receiving rerouted Internet traffic.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer program instructions further determining if bandwidth usage rate at the first provider interface exceeds a bandwidth usage rate limit.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise:

selecting the second provider interface from the one or more candidate provider interfaces for receiving rerouted Internet traffic associated with the network prefixes that are determined as capable of being reassigned; and

rerouting Internet traffic from the first provider interface having bandwidth that exceeds the bandwidth usage rate limit to the second provider interface of the one or more candidate provider interfaces having available bandwidth capacity.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise determining if the bandwidth usage rate at the first provider interface exceeds a protection gap.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the protection gap is adjusted based on bandwidth measurements at the first provider interface.

6. A system for managing bandwidth usage rate for one or more provider interfaces in a network that includes one or more routers, the system including one or more servers communicating with the one or more routers, the one or more servers having memory for storing computer program instructions and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to execute the computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising;

retrieving a list of provider interfaces in the network from a repository;

collecting data relating to active flows for each provider interface listed, wherein the data collected includes bandwidth statistics;

identifying network prefixes from each provider interface within the data collected;

probing network prefixes at each provider interface on the list of provider interfaces to determine network prefix performance of each provider interface;

determining network prefixes from the network prefixes identified that can be reassigned from a first provider interface to one or more candidate provider interfaces capable of receiving rerouted Internet traffic;

removing an undesirable candidate provider interface from the one or more provider interfaces (1) if a network prefix of the network prefixes that are determined as capable of being reassigned is not accessible through the undesirable candidate provider interface, (2) if the performance metrics of the undesirable candidate provider interface are worse than the first provider interface, (3) if current bandwidth usage rate for the network prefix determined as capable of being reassigned exceeds the bandwidth usage rate limit or (4) if a bandwidth usage rate at the undesirable candidate provider interface will exceed a bandwidth usage rate limit, if a network prefix is reassigned to the candidate provider interface;

selecting a second provider interface from the one or more candidate provider interfaces for receiving rerouted Internet traffic associated with the network prefixes that are determined as capable of being reassigned from the first provider interface; and

injecting routing changes, by communicating with the one or more routers, to the second provider interface based on the network prefixes determined capable of receiving rerouted Internet traffic.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise:

aggregating usage data from the data collected for each of the network prefixes identified; and

determining if bandwidth usage rate exceeds a bandwidth limit on at least one provider interface on the list of provider interfaces.