Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating deployment, support and configuration of network routing policies
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A routing control device comprising a routing control database storing a routing configuration policy;
- a routing control module operable to enforce the routing configuration policy to a routing system operably connected thereto.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses and systems relating to the control and application of policies for routing data over a computer network, such as the Internet. Some implementations of the invention facilitate the configuration, deployment and/or maintenance of network routing policies. Some implementations of the invention are particularly useful for controlling the routing of data among autonomous systems or organizations. Certain implementations allow for dynamic modification of routing policy based on such factors as current Internet performance, load sharing, user-defined parameters, and time of day.
-
Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A routing control device comprising
a routing control database storing a routing configuration policy; a routing control module operable to enforce the routing configuration policy to a routing system operably connected thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
6. A routing control device, comprising:
-
(a) a routing path preference evaluator; and
(b) a path preference applicator operable to apply path preferences to a routing system. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19)
-
-
18. An Internet appliance for manipulating routing policy, comprising:
-
(a) a routing path preference evaluator; and
(b) means for applying path preferences to routing devices.
-
-
20. A method facilitating the control of routing policy in a routing system operably connected to a computer network, wherein the routing system exchanges routing policy data with peers over the computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) applying a preferred path to the routing system;
(b) monitoring operation of the routing system for withdrawal of the preferred path applied in step (a); and
,(c) applying a next preferred path to the routing system in response to the withdrawal of the preferred path injected in step (a).
-
-
21. A method facilitating the control of routing policy in a routing system operably connected to a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) receiving a network destination;
(b) determining the broadcast address corresponding to the network destination;
(c) determining the peers having reachability to the network destination;
(d) injecting a route to the broadcast address that includes the first peer having reachability to the network destination as a host route into a routing system;
(e) testing the performance of the path through the first peer, using the broadcast address, with respect to at least one performance metric;
(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) for all peers having reachability to the network destination; and
(g) applying the path having the best performance metric(s) to a routing system. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30)
-
-
25. A system facilitating control of routing policies in connection with a computer network, comprising
a plurality of data collectors operably connected to the computer network; - wherein the data collectors are operable to define and test traffic paths on the computer network and generate path preference data;
a central server operably connected to the plurality of data collectors to receive and merge path preference data from the data collectors;
at least one routing control device operably connected to the central server;
wherein the routing control device is operable to query the central server for a preferred path to a network destination.
- wherein the data collectors are operable to define and test traffic paths on the computer network and generate path preference data;
-
29. A system for mapping a computer network, comprising:
-
(a) a plurality of data collectors operably connected to the computer network;
wherein the data collectors are operable to define and test traffic paths on the computer network and generate path preference data;
(b) a central server operably connected to the plurality of data collectors to receive and merge path preference data from the data collectors.
-
-
31. A method allowing for mapping of path preferences associated with a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) receiving a plurality of network routes;
(b) selecting a network route from the plurality of network routes;
(c) defining the path for the network route;
the path including at least one intermediate node;
(d) testing the performance of the path;
(e) storing path and performance data for each node in the path; and
,(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) for all network routes received in step (a). - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 36)
-
-
35. A method facilitating the determination of best path routing policy for a routing system operably connected to a computer network, the computer network comprising a central routing policy server and a plurality of data collectors associated with the central routing policy server, wherein the data collectors are operable to define and test routing paths on the computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) defining the paths on the computer network to each of the data collectors;
(b) transmitting a best path request to the central routing policy server;
the request including a destination network address and the paths to each of the data collectors;
(c) receiving a best path to the network destination address;
(d) injecting the path into a routing policy implemented by the routing system.
-
-
37. A method facilitating the determination of best path routing policy for a routing system operably connected to a computer network, the computer network comprising a central routing policy server and a plurality of data collectors operable to define and test routing paths on the computer network, wherein the central routing policy server is operably connected to a routing policy database storing routing path information associated with the computer network, the routing path information including at least two nodes and a metric characterizing each available path among the nodes, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) receiving, at the central routing policy server, a request for best path routing policy from a first device;
the request including a destination network address and the respective paths from the first device to the data collectors;
(b) determining the best network path by logically connecting the requested destination network with the local connection node associated with the first device; and
,(c) transmitting the best network path to the first device.
-
Specification