Systems, apparatuses, and methods for rerouting network traffic

• US 10,432,505 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2018
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coriant Operations, Inc. (Infinera Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Coriant Operations, Inc. (Infinera Corp.)
• Inventors: Li, Yufeng, Chan, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krueger, Kent K
• Application Number:
  US15/897,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery

Abstract

A network element includes a processor that is configured to receive a request for performing an administratively-requested reroute (ARR) on a network. The ARR includes at least a first data plane operation on the network element and a second data plane operation on another network element. The network element is also configured to determine whether it is capable of performing the first data plane operation without interrupting network traffic on that network element. The network element is further configured to determine whether the other network element is capable of performing the second data plane operation without interrupting network traffic on that network element.

Claims

1. A method for operating a network, comprising:

identifying whether a node in the network has a capability of performing an administratively-requested reroute (ARR) without impacting network traffic, based on a result of a determination regarding whether an instruction has been issued specifying that an ARR be performed in a hitless manner;

in a case where it is identified that the node has the capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic, effecting performance of an ARR operation in the network; and

wherein the instruction includes (1) first information specifying that the ARR be performed on the network, and (2) second information specifying that the ARR be hitless.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a notification of no capability in a case where it is identified that the node does not have the capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying identifies whether the node and at least one other node have a capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the node is identified to have a capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic in a case where the node is configured to perform hitless data plane operations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a re-route node in response to receiving the instruction from an origination node.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing, to the origination node, a notification of no capability in a case where it is identified that the node does not have the capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the node is a reroute node and the method is performed by an origination node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is a Resource Reservation Protocol message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is a request for rerouting one or more control plane paths on the network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ARR operation includes at least one of generation of a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) message, transmission of a RSVP message, performance of at least one routing calculation, reservation of at least one network resource, reservation of at least one network route, or signaling at one or more nodes in the network.

11. An apparatus operating in a network, comprising:

a memory storing a program; and

a processor configured to operate under control of the program to perform;

identifying whether a node in the network has a capability of performing an administratively-requested reroute (ARR) without impacting network traffic, based on a result of a determination regarding whether an instruction has been issued specifying that an ARR be performed in a hitless manner;

in a case where it is identified that the node has the capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic, effecting performance of an ARR operation in the network; and

wherein the instruction includes (1) first information specifying that the ARR be performed on the network, and (2) second information specifying that the ARR be hitless.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor also operates under the control of the program to identify that the node does not have the capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the identifying identifies whether the node and at least one other node have a capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the node is identified to have a capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic in a case where the node is configured to perform hitless data plane operations.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a re-route node that receives the instruction from an origination node.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor also operates under control of the program to provide, to the origination node, a notification of no capability in a case where it is identified that the node does not have the capability of performing the ARR without impacting network traffic.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is one of a reroute node or an origination node.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instruction is a Resource Reservation Protocol message.

19. The apparatus method of claim 11, wherein the instruction is a request for rerouting one or more control plane paths on the network.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ARR operation includes at least one of generation of a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) message, transmission of a RSVP message, performance of at least one routing calculation, reservation of at least one network resource, reservation of at least one network route, or signaling at one or more nodes in the network.