Method and apparatus for border gateway protocol route management and routing policy modeling

• US 20060209851A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, David D., Scudder, John, Barron, Thomas P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables

Abstract

A method and apparatus is described for Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) route management and routing policy modeling. In one aspect, the performance of one or more actions associated with one or more routes is disallowed. One or more routing policies associated with the one or more routes are configured. The performance of the one or more actions is then allowed. In one feature of the aspect, the one or more actions comprise forwarding packets on the one or more routes. The one or more actions may also comprise advertising the one or more routes to BGP peers.

Claims

1. A method of managing network routes at a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) host, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

disallowing the performance of one or more actions that are associated with one or more routes;

configuring one or more routing policies that are associated with the one or more routes; and

allowing the performance of the one or more actions.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of forwarding packets on the one or more routes and advertising the one or more routes to BGP peers of the BGP host.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the one or more routes at the BGP host; and

storing the one or more routes in a BGP Routing Information Base (RIB).

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein receiving the one more routes comprises at least one of:

receiving the one or more routes over a BGP session that is established between the BGP host and a BGP peer; and

receiving the one or more routes over a routing protocol that is different than BGP.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein configuring the one or more routing policies comprises modifying one or more attributes of a particular route of the one or more routes based on whether one or more conditions associated with a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies are satisfied.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of charging a fee, to an entity that uses the BGP host, for forwarding network traffic of the entity on the one or more routes.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of updating an account record in a database, wherein the account record is associated with an entity that uses the BGP host, wherein the updating represents charging a fee to an account of the entity for forwarding network traffic of the entity on the one or more routes.

8. A method of managing routes, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

at a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) host, establishing a BGP session with a BGP peer;

storing one or more routes at the BGP host, wherein the one or more routes are received over the BGP session;

placing the one or more routes in an inactive state, wherein packet forwarding is disallowed on any route that is in the inactive state;

configuring one or more routing policies that are associated with the one or more routes; and

placing the one or more routes in an active state, wherein packet forwarding is allowed on any route in the active state.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

route advertising is disallowed for any route in the inactive state; and

route advertising is allowed for any route in the active state.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the BGP session is a first BGP session;

the one or more routes are first one or more routes that have been placed in the inactive state; and

the method further comprises;

establishing a second BGP session between the BGP host and the BGP peer;

storing second one or more routes at the BGP host, wherein;

the second one or more routes are received over the second BGP session; and

the second one or more routes are the same as the first one or more routes; and

placing the second one or more routes in the active state.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein:

configuring the one or more routing policies comprises;

applying the one or more routing policies to the first one or more routes; and

selecting a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies based on information obtained as a result of applying the one or more routing policies; and

the method further comprises applying the particular routing policy to the second one or more routes.

12. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the one or more routes are first one or more routes;

the one or more routing policies comprise two or more routing policies;

configuring the one or more routing policies comprises applying a first routing policy of the two or more routing policies to the first one or more routes; and

the method further comprises;

storing second one or more routes at the BGP host, wherein the second one or more routes are the same as the first one or more routes; and

applying a second routing policy of the two or more routing policies to the second one or more routes, wherein the second routing policy is different than the first routing policy.

13. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein configuring the one or more routing policies further comprises:

applying the one or more routing policies to the one or more routes; and

selecting a particular routing policy from the one or more routing policies, wherein the particular routing policy is used to govern routing on the one or more routes when the one or more routes are placed in the active state.

14. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein configuring the one or more routing policies further comprises any one of:

modifying one or more attributes of a particular route of the one or more routes according to a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies; and

filtering out a particular route of the one or more routes based on a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies.

15. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

configuring the one or more routing policies comprises selecting a particular route of the one or more routes based on at least one routing policy of the one or more routing policies that is applied to the one or more routes; and

placing the one or more routes in the active state comprises placing only the particular route in the active state.

16. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein configuring the one or more routing policies further comprises, in response to receiving a command from a user, modifying one or more attributes of a particular route of the one or more routes based on a parameter included in the command.

17. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

advertising the one more routes to the BGP peer, wherein the one or more routes are in the inactive state and have been configured;

at the BGP peer, receiving the one or more routes and placing the one or more routes in the inactive state; and

at the BGP peer, applying at least one routing policy of the one or more routing policies to the one or more routes.

18. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the steps of placing the one or more routes in the inactive state and placing the one or more routes in the active state comprise, for each route of the one or more routes, changing the value of an attribute associated with each route.

19. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

placing the one or more routes in the inactive state comprises storing the one or more routes in a first routing table; and

placing the one or more routes in the active state comprises storing the one or more routes in a second routing table, wherein the second routing table is different than the first routing table.

20. An apparatus for routing that is executing a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) process, the apparatus comprising:

means for disallowing the performance of one or more actions that are associated with one or more routes;

means for configuring one or more routing policies that are associated with the one or more routes; and

means for allowing the performance of the one or more actions.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of forwarding packets on the one or more routes and advertising the one or more routes to peering BGP processes.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

means for receiving the one or more routes, wherein the one or more routes are received over at least one of a BGP session and a routing protocol that is different than BGP; and

means for storing the one or more routes in a BGP Routing Information Base (RIB).

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the means for configuring the one or more routing policies further comprise means for modifying one or more attributes of a particular route of the one or more routes based on whether one or more conditions associated with a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies are satisfied.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

means for storing an account associated with an entity that uses the apparatus to forward network traffic of the entity; and

means for charging a fee to the account of the entity for at least one of configuring the one or more routing policies that are associated with the one or more routes and forwarding network traffic of the entity on the one or more routes.

25. An apparatus for routing, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

executing a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) process;

establishing a BGP session with a BGP peer;

storing one or more routes, wherein the one or more routes are received over the BGP session;

placing the one or more routes in an inactive state, wherein packet forwarding is disallowed on any route that is in the inactive state;

configuring one or more routing policies that are associated with the one or more routes; and

placing the one or more routes in an active state, wherein packet forwarding is allowed on any route in the active state.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein:

route advertising is disallowed for any route in the inactive state; and

route advertising is allowed for any route in the active state.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein:

the BGP session is a first BGP session;

the one or more routes are first one or more routes that have been placed in the inactive state; and

the one or more stored sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

establishing a second BGP session with the BGP peer;

storing second one or more routes, wherein;

the second one or more routes are received over the second BGP session; and

the second one or more routes are the same as the first one or more routes; and

placing the second one or more routes in the active state.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein:

the instructions for configuring the one or more routing policies comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

applying the one or more routing policies to the first one or more routes; and

selecting a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies based on information obtained as a result of applying the one or more routing policies; and

the one or more stored sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform applying the particular routing policy to the second one or more routes.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein:

the one or more routes are first one or more routes;

the one or more routing policies comprise two or more routing policies;

the instructions for configuring the one or more routing policies comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform applying a first routing policy of the two or more routing policies to the first one or more routes; and

the one or more stored sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

storing second one or more routes, wherein the second one or more routes are the same as the first one or more routes; and

applying a second routing policy of the two or more routing policies to the second one or more routes, wherein the second routing policy is different than the first routing policy.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the instructions for configuring the one or more routing policies further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

applying the one or more routing policies to the one or more routes; and

selecting a particular routing policy from the one or more routing policies, wherein the particular routing policy is used to govern routing on the one or more routes when the one or more routes are placed in the active state.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the instructions for configuring the one or more routing policies further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform any one of the steps of:

modifying one or more attributes of a particular route of the one or more routes according to a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies; and

filtering out a particular route of the one or more routes based on a particular routing policy of the one or more routing policies.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein:

the instructions for configuring the one or more routing policies comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform selecting a particular route of the one or more routes based on at least one routing policy of the one or more routing policies that is applied to the one or more routes; and

the instructions for placing the one or more routes in the active state comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform placing only the particular route in the active state.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the instructions for configuring the one or more routing policies further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform modifying, in response to receiving a command from a user, one or more attributes of a particular route of the one or more routes based on a parameter included in the command.

34. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the instructions for placing the one or more routes in the inactive state and the instructions for placing the one or more routes in the active state comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform changing, for each route of the one or more routes, the value of an attribute associated with each route.

35. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein:

the instructions for placing the one or more routes in the inactive state comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform storing the one or more routes in a first routing table; and

the instructions for placing the one or more routes in the active state comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform storing the one or more routes in a second routing table, wherein the second routing table is different than the first routing table.

36. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing routes at a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) host, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

establishing a BGP session with a BGP peer;

storing one or more routes at the BGP host, wherein the one or more routes are received over the BGP session;

placing the one or more routes in an inactive state, wherein packet forwarding is disallowed on any route that is in the inactive state;

configuring one or more routing policies that are associated with the one or more routes; and

placing the one or more routes in an active state, wherein packet forwarding is allowed on any route in the active state.