Method and system for transferring data in a communications network using redundant communication paths

• US 20060256768A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Global Communications, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Chi Chiu
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery

Abstract

A communication node of the present invention automatically transmits original and duplicate packets over different paths in a communications network to improve delivery reliability of the packet and to decrease packet delivery time. A packet is typically marked for reliable transmission by the application layer of a source node, while a routing agent module within the node IP layer processes the marked packets. The marked packets are transmitted over redundant (e.g., primary and secondary) network paths from the source node to the destination node. The primary path is usually the shortest path between the source and destination nodes, while the secondary path is selected to avoid overlap with the primary path. The application or transport layer of the destination node filters or removes plural copies of received packets.

Claims

1. A communication node of a communications network to reliably transfer data to a destination node comprising:

a transmitter to transmit outgoing information to at least one other communication node within said network;

a receiver to receive incoming information from at least one other communication node within said network; and

a processor to control said transmission and reception of said outgoing and incoming information, wherein said processor includes;

a marking module to selectively mark packets for reliable transmission in response to said communication node being a source node;

an agent module to perform routing functions, wherein said agent module includes;

a primary module to determine a primary routing path for a marked packet utilizing information within a routing database;

a secondary module to determine a secondary routing path for said marked packet utilizing information within said routing database, wherein said secondary path is the shortest path available including minimum overlap with said primary path; and

a transmission module to generate a duplicate of said marked packet and to transmit said marked packet and said duplicate packet over said primary and secondary paths, respectively, wherein said packets are in the form of routing protocol packets, and wherein a routing option of said routing protocol is enabled to control propagation of said packets through said network.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths without re-routing of those packets.

3. The node of claim 1, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths with selective re-routing of those packets.

4. The node of claim 1, wherein said network includes at least one intermediate node between said node and said destination node, wherein each intermediate node lacks said marking and agent modules and employs said routing protocol to route said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths, and wherein said packet and said duplicate packet are processed in accordance with said routing protocol and said enabled routing option to propagate said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths.

5. The node of claim 1, wherein said network includes at least one intermediate node between said node and said destination node, wherein at least one intermediate node includes said marking and agent modules to perform said routing functions in response to receiving said marked packet and said primary and secondary paths being unavailable at said node.

6. The node of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes:

a filter module to receive packets from said primary and secondary paths and to remove packets that are copies of received packets in response to said node being a destination node.

7. The node of claim 1, wherein said packet includes a protocol header and said marking module includes:

a field module to assign values to at least a portion of said packet header to mark said packet for said reliable transmission.

8. The node of claim 1, wherein said routing protocol includes the Internet Protocol.

9. The node of claim 8, wherein said routing protocol option includes at least one of strict source routing and loose source routing.

10. The node of claim 1, wherein said secondary module determines a plurality of secondary routing paths for said marked packet and said transmission module generates a duplicate of said marked packet for each secondary path and transmits said marked packet and said duplicate packets over said primary and secondary paths, respectively.

11. The node of claim 8 further including a communication protocol architecture with a plurality of layers including an Internet Protocol layer, and said agent module resides within said Internet Protocol layer.

12. A communications network to reliably transfer data comprising:

at least one source node to transmit a packet and including;

a marking module to selectively mark packets for reliable transmission;

an agent module to perform routing functions, wherein said agent module includes;

a primary module to determine a primary routing path for a marked packet utilizing information within a routing database;

a secondary module to determine a secondary routing path for said marked packet utilizing information within said routing database, wherein said secondary path is the shortest path available including minimum overlap with said primary path; and

a transmission module to generate a duplicate of said marked packet and to transmit said marked packet and said duplicate packet over said primary and secondary paths, respectively, wherein said packets are in the form of routing protocol packets, and wherein a routing option of said routing protocol is enabled to control propagation of said packets through said network;

at least one intermediate node between said source node and a destination, wherein each intermediate node employs said routing protocol to route said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths, and wherein said packet and said duplicate packet are processed in accordance with said routing protocol and said enabled routing option to propagate said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths; and

at least one destination node to receive packets from said primary and secondary paths and to remove packets that are copies of received packets.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths without re-routing of those packets by said at least one intermediate node.

14. The network of claim 12, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths with selective re-routing of those packets by said at least one intermediate node.

15. The network of claim 12, wherein each intermediate node lacks said marking and agent modules and employs said routing protocol to route said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths, and wherein said packet and said duplicate packet are processed in accordance with said routing protocol and said enabled routing option to propagate said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths.

16. The network of claim 12, wherein at least one intermediate node includes said marking and agent modules to perform said routing functions in response to receiving said marked packet and said primary and secondary paths being unavailable at said source node.

17. The network of claim 12, wherein said packet includes a protocol header and said marking module includes:

a field module to assign values to at least a portion of said packet header to mark said packet for said reliable transmission.

18. The network of claim 12, wherein said routing protocol includes the Internet Protocol.

19. The network of claim 18, wherein said routing protocol option includes at least one of strict source routing and loose source routing.

20. The network of claim 12, wherein said secondary module determines a plurality of secondary routing paths for said marked packet and said transmission module generates a duplicate of said marked packet for each secondary path and transmits said marked packet and said duplicate packets over said primary and secondary paths, respectively.

21. The network of claim 18, wherein each node further includes a communication protocol architecture with a plurality of layers including an Internet Protocol layer, and said agent module resides within said Internet Protocol layer.

22. A program product apparatus including a computer readable medium with computer program logic recorded thereon for reliably transferring data within a network comprising:

a marking module to selectively mark packets for reliable transmission;

an agent module to perform routing functions, wherein said agent module includes;

a primary module to determine a primary routing path for a marked packet utilizing information within a routing database;

a secondary module to determine a secondary routing path for said marked packet utilizing information within said routing database, wherein said secondary path is the shortest path available including minimum overlap with said primary path; and

a transmission module to generate a duplicate of said marked packet and to facilitate transmission of said marked packet and said duplicate packet over said primary and secondary paths, respectively, wherein said packets are in the form of routing protocol packets, and wherein a routing option of said routing protocol is enabled to control propagation of said packets through said network.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths without re-routing of those packets.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths with selective re-routing of those packets.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 further including:

a filter module to receive packets from said primary and secondary paths and to remove packets that are copies of received packets.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said packet includes a protocol header and said marking module includes:

a field module to assign values to at least a portion of said packet header to mark said packet for said reliable transmission.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said routing protocol includes the Internet Protocol.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said routing protocol option includes at least one of strict source routing and loose source routing.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said secondary module determines a plurality of secondary routing paths for said marked packet and said transmission module generates a duplicate of said marked packet for each secondary path and facilitates transmission of said marked packet and said duplicate packets over said primary and secondary paths, respectively.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said network includes a communication protocol architecture of a plurality of layers including an Internet Protocol layer, and said agent module performs said routing functions within said Internet Protocol layer.

31. A method of transmitting packets within a network from a source node through at least one intermediate node to a destination node comprising:

(a) selectively marking packets for reliable transmission at said source node;

(b) determining a primary routing path for a marked packet at said source node utilizing information within a routing database;

(c) determining a secondary routing path for said marked packet at said source node utilizing information within said routing database, wherein said secondary path is the shortest path available including minimum overlap with said primary path;

(d) generating a duplicate of said marked packet at said source node and transmitting said marked packet and said duplicate packet over said primary and secondary paths, respectively, wherein said packets are in the form of routing protocol packets, and wherein a routing option of said routing protocol is enabled to control propagation of said packets through said network; and

(e) receiving packets from said primary and secondary paths and removing packets that are copies of received packets at said destination node.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths without re-routing of those packets by said at least one intermediate node.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said routing option directs said routing protocol to enable traversal of said marked and duplicate packets along said respective primary and secondary paths with selective re-routing of those packets by said at least one intermediate node.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein each intermediate node employs said routing protocol to route said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths without performing said steps (a)-(d), and wherein said packet and said duplicate packet are processed in accordance with said routing protocol and said enabled routing option to propagate said packet and said duplicate packet along said respective primary and secondary paths.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein at least one intermediate node performs said steps (b)-(d) in response to receiving said marked packet and said primary and secondary paths being unavailable at said source node.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein said packet includes a protocol header and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) assigning values to at least a portion of said packet header to mark said packet for said reliable transmission.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein said routing protocol includes the Internet Protocol.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said routing protocol option includes at least one of strict source routing and loose source routing.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) determining a plurality of secondary routing paths for said marked packet; and

step (d) further includes;

(d.1) generating a duplicate of said marked packet for each secondary path and transmitting said marked packet and said duplicate packets over said primary and secondary paths, respectively.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said network includes a communication protocol architecture with a plurality of layers including an Internet Protocol layer, and said steps (b)-(d) are performed within said Internet Protocol layer.