METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DYNAMICALLY STORE NETWORK ROUTES FOR A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20100150155A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Napierala, Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,936,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• 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 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to dynamically store network routes for a communication network are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves receiving data via a router having a first memory to store active routes and a second memory to store inactive routes. A destination address associated with the data is identified and in response to detecting that no destination address entry stored in the first memory matches the destination address associated with the data, a default route stored in the first memory is selected to forward the data using a multicast transport protocol.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically storing network routes, comprising:

receiving data via a router having a first memory to store active routes and a second memory to store inactive routes;

identifying a destination address associated with the data; and

in response to detecting that no destination address entry stored in the first memory matches the destination address associated with the data, selecting a default route stored in the first memory to forward the data using a multicast transport protocol.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein in response to detecting that no destination address entry stored in the first memory matches the destination address associated with the data, the method further comprises:

retrieving from the second memory a route corresponding to the destination address; and

storing the route in the first memory.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising providing a criterion to indicate when the route stored in the first memory is to become inactive.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising, when the route becomes inactive, at least one of deleting the route from the first memory or overwriting the route in the first memory with a second route associated with another destination address of second data.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the destination address is an internet protocol address.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a data access speed of the first memory is relatively faster than a data access speed of the second memory.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first memory implements a forwarding information base data structure, and wherein the second memory implements a routing information base data structure.

8. (canceled)

9. An apparatus to dynamically store network routes, the apparatus comprising:

a first memory to store active routes;

a second memory to store inactive routes;

a data interface to receive data and identify a destination address associated with the data; and

a route manager to select a default route stored in the first memory to forward the data using a multicast transport protocol in response to determining that no destination address entry stored in the first memory matches the destination address associated with the data.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein in response to detecting that no destination address entry stored in the first memory matches the destination address associated with the data, the route manager is further to:

retrieve from the second memory a route corresponding to the destination address;

store the route in the first memory; and

select the second route to forward second data associated with the destination address.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising a route expiration interface to provide a criterion to indicate when the route stored in the first memory is to become inactive.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein, when the route becomes inactive, the route manager is further to at least one of delete the route from the first memory or overwrite the route in the first memory with a second route associated with another destination address of third data.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein a data access speed of the first memory is relatively faster than a data access speed of the second memory.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the first memory implements a forwarding information base data structure, and wherein the second memory implements a routing information base data structure.

13. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive data via a router having a first memory to store active routes and a second memory to store inactive routes;

identify a destination address associated with the data; and

in response to detecting that no destination address entry stored in the first memory matches the destination address associated with the data, select a default route stored in the first memory to forward the data using a multicast transport protocol.

18. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to, in response to detecting that no destination address entry stored in the first memory matches the destination address associated with the data:

retrieve from the second memory a route corresponding to the destination address; and

store the route in the first memory.

19. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 18 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to provide a criterion to indicate when the route stored in the first memory is to become inactive.

20. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 19 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to, when the route becomes inactive, at least one of delete the route from the first memory or overwrite the route in the first memory with a second route associated with another destination address of second data.

22. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17, wherein a data access speed of the first memory is relatively faster than a data access speed of the second memory.

23. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the first memory implements a forwarding information base data structure, and wherein the second memory implements a routing information base data structure.

21. (canceled)

24-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method of routing data in a communication network, comprising:

receiving via a router a first data packet associated with a first destination address;

communicating via the router the first data packet via a multicast transport protocol;

receiving via the router a second data packet associated with the first destination address; and

communicating via the router the second data packet via a unicast transport protocol.

41-54. -54. (canceled)