MULTIPLE TOPOLOGY ROUTING ARCHITECTURE IN COMPUTER NETWORKS

• US 20150043384A1
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hui, Jonathan W., Vasseur, Jean-Philippe, Hong, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/121 by minimising delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a multiple interface, low power and lossy network comprising a plurality of nodes, a low transmission power and medium transmission power topology are defined for the network and a channel-hopping schedule is defined for the devices operating in each topology. A sender determines that data is capable of being transmitted via a link on the low transmission power topology. The sender determines the transmission parameters for the transmission of the data over the link on the low transmission power topology and determines a low transmission power channel for transmission of the data. The sender transmits the determined channel and the transmission parameters to the receiver. The sender transmits the data via the determined channel in the low transmission power topology.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a low power and lossy network (LLN) comprising a plurality of devices, creating a first routing topology, wherein the first routing topology maps one or more receiver devices that can receive transmissions from a sender device using a first channel type; and

creating a second routing topology, wherein the second routing topology maps one or more receiver devices that can receive transmissions from a sender device using a second channel type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the first routing topology comprises:

transmitting, by a sender device to one or more receiving devices, a first router advertisement message via the first channel type;

receiving, from the one or more receiving devices, one or more response messages via the first channel type; and

mapping a link between the sender device and the receiver device to a first channel type topology instance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the second routing topology of comprises:

transmitting, by a sender device linked to a receiver device in the first channel type topology instance, a test message to the receiver device;

receiving, by the sender device, a response message from the receiver device, wherein the response message comprises one or more link quality metrics;

evaluating, by the sender device, if the one or more link quality metrics exceed a link quality threshold; and

in response to determining that the link quality metrics exceed a link quality threshold, mapping the link between the sender device and the receiver device to a second channel type topology instance.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein creating the second routing topology comprises:

transmitting, by a sender device to one or more receiver devices, a second router advertisement message via the second channel type;

receiving, from the one or more receiver devices, one or more response messages via the second channel type; and

mapping a link between the sender device and the receiver device to a second channel type topology instance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel type is a medium power channel and the second channel type is a low-power channel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a first broadcast schedule for the first routing topology and a second broadcast schedule for the second routing topology.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping data types to the first and second routing topology.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein mapping data types comprises determining a communication characteristic and network diameter for each routing topology.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a communication characteristic and network diameter for each routing topology comprises:

transmitting, from a root sender device to a leaf receiver device, a test message;

receiving, at the root sender device, a response message from the leaf receiver device, the response message comprising at least a time of receipt of the test message; and

calculating, by a network management device, at least a latency and network diameter for each routing topology.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a low power and lossy network (LLN);

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

create a first routing topology, wherein the first routing topology maps one or more receiver devices that can receive transmissions from a sender device using a first channel type; and

create a second routing topology, wherein the second routing topology maps one or more receiver devices that can receive transmissions from a sender device using a second channel type.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a process for creating the first routing topology that when executed is operable to:

transmit a first router advertisement messages to one or more receiver devices via the first channel type;

receive from the one or more receiving devices, one or more response messages via the first channel type; and

map a link between the apparatus and the receiver device to a first channel type topology instance.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a process for creating the second routing topology that when executed is operable to:

transmit to a receiver device mapped to the apparatus in the first channel type topology instance, a test message;

receive a response message from the receiver device, wherein the response message comprises one or more link quality metrics;

evaluate if the one or more link quality metrics exceed a link quality threshold; and

in response to determining that the link quality metrics exceed a link quality threshold, map the link between the apparatus and the receiver device to a second channel type topology instance.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a process for creating the second routing topology when executed operable to:

transmit, a second router advertisement message to one or more receiver devices via the second channel type;

receive, from the one or more receiver devices, one or more response messages via the second channel type; and

map a link between the apparatus and the receiver device to a second channel type topology instance.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first channel type is a medium-power channel and the second channel type is a low-power channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a process that when executed is operable to generate a first broadcast schedule for the first routing topology and a second broadcast schedule for the second routing topology.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a process that when executed is operable to map data types to the first and second routing topologies based at least in part on a latency characteristic and network diameter for each routing topology.

17. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

create a first routing topology, wherein the first routing topology maps one or more receiver devices that can receive transmissions from a sender device using a first channel type; and

create a second routing topology, wherein the second routing topology maps one or more receiver device that can receive transmissions from a sender device using a second channel type.

18. The computer-readable media as in claim 17, wherein the first channel type is a medium-power channel type and the second channel is a low-power channel type.

19. The computer-readable media as in claim 18, wherein the software when executed by a processor is further operable to generate a first broadcast schedule for the first routing topology and a second broadcast schedule for the second routing topology.

20. The computer-readable media as in claim 18, wherein the software when executed by the processor is further operable to map data types to the first and second routing topologies based at least in part on a latency characteristic and network diameter for each routing topology.