Granted Patent B2

US 12,463,902 · App. 17/961,252 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Inventors: Jia Chen (Palo Alto, CA); Shu Lin (Saratoga, CA); Jining Tian (Saratoga, CA); Enke Chen (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

H04L45/741H04L45/02

Abstract

Claims (59)

1 . A system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

advertise in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families;

undo BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network; and

filter out all new address-family compatible routes prior to deployment of a new address-family; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

during a network software upgrade, enable BGP IPv6 capability and maintain BGP IPv4 capability.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the network is secured by a cloud security service provider.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

advertise the new address-family capability in combination with the existing address-family without generating a new address-family compatible address.

5 . A system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

advertise in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families, wherein the new address-family capability is negotiated when an existing address-family capability is negotiated; and

undo BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

6 . A system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

advertise in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families; and

undo BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network, comprising to:

advertise the new address-family capability together with the existing address-family; and

remove the BGP filters to allow the BGP routes to be exchanged, and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

7 . A method, comprising:

advertising in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families;

undoing BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network; and

filtering out all new address-family compatible routes prior to deployment of a new address-family.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

during a network software upgrade, enabling BGP IPv6 capability and maintain BGP IPv4 capability.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the network is secured by a cloud security service provider.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

advertising the new address-family capability in combination with the existing address-family without generating a new address-family compatible address.

11 . A method, comprising:

advertising in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families, wherein the new address-family capability is negotiated when an existing address-family capability is negotiated; and

undoing BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network.

12 . A method, comprising:

advertising in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families; and

undoing BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network, comprising:

advertising the new address-family capability together with the existing address-family; and

removing the BGP filters to allow the BGP routes to be exchanged.

13 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

advertising in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families;

undoing BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network; and

filtering out all new address-family compatible routes prior to deployment of a new address-family.

14 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

advertising in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families, wherein the new address-family capability is negotiated when an existing address-family capability is negotiated; and

undoing BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network.

15 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

advertising in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a new address-family capability in combination with an existing address-family in a network that supports a plurality of address families; and

undoing BGP filters to allow BGP routes to be exchanged at a time that a network administrator enables the new address-family capability in the network, comprising:

advertising the new address-family capability together with the existing address-family; and

removing the BGP filters to allow the BGP routes to be exchanged.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

IPv6 address-family capability corresponds with the new address-family capability;

IPv4 corresponds with the existing address-family;

IPv6 corresponds with the new address-family; and

the undoing of the BGP filters comprises to:

filter out all IPv6 routes using IPv6 filters prior to deployment of the new address-family capability; and

undo the IPv6 filters during the deployment of the new address-family capability.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (11)