IP Library Granted Patent US 12,341,683
Granted Patent B2
US 12,341,683 · App. 18/770,106 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Router fluidity using tunneling

Inventors: John R. B. Woodworth (Amissville, VA); Dean Ballew (Sterling, VA); Brian J. Strong (St. Louis, MO); Stewart Bamford (Cambridgeshire, GB)
Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
H04L45/123H04L45/22H04L45/42H04L47/122H04L47/125
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,341,683
App. No.
18/770,106
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present application describes a system and method for utilizing a tunnel in a networking routing protocol to provide a network segment access to additional servers when certain load balancing trigger events are detected.

Claims (24)

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring a network segment, the network segment being associated with a local router, the local router routing network traffic to a first server;

detecting a load balancing trigger event associated with the first server;

based on detecting the load balancing trigger event, causing creation of a logical tunnel between the local router and a remote router, the remote router being associated with a second server;

logically associating the second server with the local router; and

causing the local router to route network traffic associated with the network segment to the second remote server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network segment is a first network segment, the method further comprising causing a second network segment to route network traffic via the second server instead of the first segment server.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second server provides an advertisement to the first network segment and the second network segment.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the advertisement comprises an Anycast network address.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dismantling the logical tunnel between the local router and the remote router.

6. A system, comprising:

a network segment;

a local router associated with the network segment;

a first server associated with the local router; and

a control server configured to:

monitor at least one performance characteristic associated with the network segment; and

based on determining that the at least one performance characteristic associated with the network segment falls below a threshold:

causing creation of a logical tunnel between the local router and a remote router, the remote router being associated with a second server; and

logically associating the second server with the local router such that the local router load balances network traffic using the first server and the second server.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first server and the second server have at least one equivalent route metric.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the route metric is associated with an administrative cost.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the network resource is part of an Anycast network.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second server provides an advertisement to the local router.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the control server is further configured to cause dismantling of the logical tunnel between the local router and the remote router based, at least in part, on the performance characteristics.

Assignments (3)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (SECOND LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0749 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 15, 2024
From: WOODWORTH, JOHN R.B.; BALLEW, DEAN; STRONG, BRIAN J.; BAMFORD, STEWART
To: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 067989/0493 →