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 management server, comprising:
a processor;
a transceiver communicably coupled with the processor, the transceiver configured to communicate over a network with a network node 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:
receive current routing information of the network node from the network node;
determine supplemental routing information 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, 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;
send the supplemental routing information to the network node; and
cause the network node to determine, based on the supplemental routing information, a route to one or more of the other network nodes.
2. The network management server of claim 1 , wherein the designated routing nodes include gate nodes selected as entrance or exit points of corresponding lateral bands from or to network nodes that are not in the corresponding lateral bands.
3. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the determined route to one or more of the other network nodes includes:
routing from a first network node that is not in a lateral band to a first preassigned gate node as an entrance to a preassigned lateral band using a non-lateral routing method;
routing from the first preassigned gate node through the preassigned lateral band to a second preassigned gate node as an exit of the preassigned lateral band in accordance with a predetermined lateral route; and
routing from the second preassigned gate node to a second network node that is not in the preassigned lateral band using the non-lateral routing method.
4. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the network node is an intended receiving node of a future communication, the network node configured to:
broadcast a message through the network of network nodes indicating which lateral band and what first gate node on that lateral band should be used for a communication to the network node, and
receive a test packet from a sending node that used the indicated lateral band and first gate node to reach the network node, the test packet including an indication of a second gate node of the lateral band that the test packet used to enter the lateral band,
thereby identifying, by the network node, the lateral band and gate nodes needed for the future communication between the sending node and the receiving node.
5. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the network node is not in a lateral band, the network node configured to:
receive a communication for one of the other network nodes using a non-lateral routing method, and
in accordance with the determined route based on the supplemental routing information, route the communication to a preassigned gate node as an entrance to a preassigned lateral band using the non-lateral routing method.
6. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the network node is a gate node in a corresponding lateral band, the network node configured to:
receive a communication from one of the other network nodes not in the corresponding lateral band using a non-lateral routing method, the communication intended for another one of the other network nodes, and
in accordance with the determined route based on the supplemental routing information, route the communication through the corresponding lateral band to a preassigned gate node for exiting the corresponding lateral band.
7. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the network node is in a corresponding lateral band and is not a gate node, the network node, in accordance with the determined route based on the supplemental routing information, configured to:
receive a communication from a gate node or other node in the corresponding lateral band, the communication intended for one of the other network nodes, and
route the communication through the corresponding lateral band to a preassigned gate node for exiting the corresponding lateral band.
8. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the network node is a gate node in a corresponding lateral band, the network node configured to:
receive a communication from a network node in the corresponding lateral band, the communication intended for one of the other network nodes, and
route the communication to another network node that is not in the corresponding lateral band using a non-lateral routing method.
9. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the network node is not in a lateral band, the network node configured to:
receive a communication from a gate node of a corresponding lateral band using a non-lateral routing method, the communication intended for one of the other network nodes, and
route the communication to the intended network node using the non-lateral routing method.
10. The network management server of claim 2 , wherein the gate nodes and their corresponding neighboring nodes form an exit drain, where the gate nodes inform their corresponding neighboring nodes of their lateral band exit point capability.
11. A method of determining a communication route from a network node to one or more other network nodes through a network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a network management server, current routing information of the network node from the network node;
determining, by the network management server, supplemental routing information 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, 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;
sending the supplemental routing information to the network node; and
determining, by the network node, based on the supplemental routing information, a route to one or more of the other network nodes.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network node is a gate node selected as one of one or more entry or exit points of a corresponding lateral band, and the method further includes:
informing, by the network node, neighboring nodes of the network node that the network node is a gate node.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the route to one or more of the other network nodes includes:
routing from a first network node that is not in a lateral band to a first preassigned gate node as an entrance to a preassigned lateral band using a non-lateral routing method;
routing from the first preassigned gate node through the preassigned lateral band to a second preassigned gate node as an exit of the preassigned lateral band in accordance with a predetermined lateral route; and
routing from the second preassigned gate node to a second network node that is not in the preassigned lateral band using the non-lateral routing method.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network node is an intended receiving node of a future communication, the method further comprising:
broadcasting, by the network node, a message through the network of network nodes indicating which lateral band, and what first gate node to exit that lateral band, should be used for a communication to the network node; and
receiving, by the network node, a test packet from a sending node that used the indicated lateral band and first gate node to reach the network node, the test packet including an indication of a second gate node of the lateral band that the test packet used to enter the lateral band,
thereby identifying, by the network node, the lateral band and gate nodes needed for the future communication between the sending node and the receiving node.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network node is not in a lateral band, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the network node, a communication for one of the other network nodes using a non-lateral routing method; and
in accordance with the determined route based on the supplemental routing information, routing, by the network node, the communication to a preassigned gate node as an entrance to a preassigned lateral band using the non-lateral routing method.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network node is a gate node in a corresponding lateral band, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the network node, a communication from one of the other network nodes not in the corresponding lateral band using a non-lateral routing method, the communication intended for another one of the other network nodes; and
in accordance with the determined route based on the supplemental routing information, routing, by the network node, the communication through the corresponding lateral band to a preassigned gate node for exiting the corresponding lateral band.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network node is in a corresponding lateral band and is not a gate node, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the network node, a communication from a gate node or other node in the corresponding lateral band, the communication intended for one of the other network nodes; and
in accordance with the determined route based on the supplemental routing information, routing, by the network node, the communication through the corresponding lateral band to a preassigned gate node for exiting the corresponding lateral band.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network node is a gate node in a corresponding lateral band, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the network node, a communication from a network node in the corresponding lateral band, the communication intended for one of the other network nodes; and
routing, by the network node, the communication to another network node that is not in the corresponding lateral band using a non-lateral routing method.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network node is not in a lateral band, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the network node, a communication from a gate node of a corresponding lateral band using a non-lateral routing method, the communication intended for one of the other network nodes; and
routing, by the network node, the communication to the intended network node using the non-lateral routing method.
20. 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 communications system, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 11 .