Server-assisted routing in network communications
A network node device and method of determining a communication route to one or more other network nodes through a network. The method includes sending current routing information to a network management server (NMS), and receiving new or supplemental routing information from the NMS, this supplemental routing information determined by the NMS based on the current routing information of the network node and the other network node(s). The supplemental routing information may include lateral route information identifying designated routing nodes that form lateral band(s) of nodes that span the network. Each lateral band may include gate node(s) as entrances/exits to the lateral band. The method further includes determining, based on the supplemental routing information, a route to one or more of the other network nodes, which may include an optimal path and/or alternate path(s) from the network node to one or more of the other network nodes.
1. A network node, comprising:
a processor;
a transceiver communicably coupled with the processor, the transceiver configured to communicate over a network with a network management server and with one or more other network nodes; and
a memory communicably coupled with the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to:
send current routing information of the network node to the network management server;
receive supplemental routing information from the network management server, the supplemental routing information determined by the network management server based on the current routing information of the network node and current routing information provided to the network management server from the one or more other network nodes, and the supplemental routing information including lateral route information identifying designated routing nodes of the network nodes, the designated routing nodes forming one or more defined lateral bands of nodes that each horizontally span the network, the one or more defined lateral bands including:
primary and secondary lateral nodes characterized using a horizontal scale with increasing values from one end of the defined lateral band to other end of the defined lateral band, with gaps between each scale indication, and
gate nodes characterized using the horizontal scale with values between scale indications used by the primary and secondary lateral nodes, depending on lateral placement of the gate nodes among the primary and secondary lateral nodes; and
determine, based on the supplemental routing information, a route to one or more of the other network nodes,
wherein the supplemental routing information includes one or more of an optimal path from the network node to one or more of the other network nodes or one or more alternate paths from the network node to one or more of the other network nodes.
2. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the current routing information includes one or more of identification of neighbor nodes, signal strengths to each neighbor node, percentage of time that a given neighbor is reachable, number of hops from a root node, parent node information, child node information, age of current parent node, age of previous parent node, secondary parent node information, number of parent changes within a predetermined time period, bandwidth consumption with a predetermined time period, or geographic location of the network node.
3. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental routing information includes information regarding next-hop neighbors for one or more pathways between the network node and one or more of the other network nodes.
4. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the designated routing nodes include one or more primary lateral nodes and one or more secondary lateral nodes in the defined lateral bands, each secondary lateral node an alternate primary lateral node that can be used in place of an inadequate primary lateral node.
5. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the designated routing nodes are identified to optimize communication time and traffic.
6. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the route to one or more of the other network nodes includes determining a route to a closest designated routing node.
7. The network node of claim 1 , wherein:
the primary and secondary lateral nodes run substantially through a middle of the defined lateral band, forming an optimized node path; and
the gate nodes are exit points of the defined lateral band to network nodes that are not in the defined lateral band.
8. The network node of claim 7 , wherein:
the primary and secondary lateral nodes and the gate nodes are further characterized using a vertical scale with increasing values from an approximate center of the defined lateral band toward a root node and increasing values from the approximate center of the defined lateral band in a direction opposite to that of the root node.
9. The network node of claim 8 , wherein:
the horizontal scale values used include an east (E) designation for the horizontal scales that run left to right or a west (W) designation for the horizontal scales that run right to left; and
the vertical scale values used include a north (N) designation for a node location between the approximate center of the defined lateral band and the root node or a south (S) designation for a node location in the opposite direction from the root node from the approximate center of the defined lateral band.
10. A method of determining, at a network node, a communication route to one or more other network nodes through a network, the method comprising:
sending current routing information of the network node to a network management server;
receiving supplemental routing information from the network management server, the supplemental routing information determined by the network management server based on the current routing information of the network node and current routing information provided to the network management server from the one or more other network nodes, and the supplemental routing information including lateral route information identifying designated routing nodes of the network nodes, the designated routing nodes forming one or more defined lateral bands of nodes that each horizontally span the network, the one or more defined lateral bands including:
primary and secondary lateral nodes characterized using a horizontal scale with increasing values from one end of the defined lateral band to other end of the defined lateral band, with gaps between each scale indication, and
gate nodes characterized using the horizontal scale with values between the scale indications used by the primary and secondary lateral nodes, depending on lateral placement of the gate nodes among the primary and secondary lateral nodes; and
determining, based on the supplemental routing information, a route to one or more of the other network nodes,
wherein the supplemental routing information includes one or more of an optimal path from the network node to one or more of the other network nodes or one or more alternate paths from the network node to one or more of the other network nodes.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the designated routing nodes include one or more primary lateral nodes and one or more secondary lateral nodes in the defined lateral bands, each secondary lateral node an alternate primary lateral node that can be used in place of an inadequate primary lateral node.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the route to one or more of the other network nodes includes optimizing communication time and traffic by utilizing the designated routing nodes.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the route to one or more of the other network nodes includes determining a route to a closest designated routing node.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the primary and secondary lateral nodes run substantially through the middle of the defined lateral band, forming an optimized node path; and
the gate nodes are exit points of the defined lateral band to network nodes that are not in the defined lateral band.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the primary and secondary lateral nodes and the gate nodes are further characterized using a vertical scale with increasing values from an approximate center of the defined lateral band toward a root node and increasing values from the approximate center of the defined lateral band in a direction opposite to that of the root node.
16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program logic stored thereon, the computer program logic including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a network node device of a communication system, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 10 .