SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ROUTING INTERNET PACKETS BETWEEN ENTERPRISE NETWORK SITES

• US 20170279717A1
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bethers, Joel, Eggert, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,313,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/026 Details of "hello" or keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/748 using longest matching prefix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0254 Stateful filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks

Abstract

This disclosure describes methods, devices, and systems related to routing packets over enterprise network sites. A method may be disclosed for routing packets between hosts at a first site and hosts at a second site in a network using a firewall. The method may comprise receiving a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send one or more packets to two or more hosts at the second site. The method may comprise receiving a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to two or more hosts at the first site from the first router, and receiving a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix. The method may comprise generating a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value. And the method may comprise sending the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement.

Claims

1. A firewall comprising:

at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send at least one packet to two or more hosts at a second site,

receive, from the first router, a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to the two or more hosts at a first site, and

receive a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix;

determine a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value; and

send the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement.

2. The firewall of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to determine a route to the two or more hosts at the first site using the first sub-network prefix.

3. The firewall of claim 1, wherein the request from the first router is a request received from the two or more hosts, on a first network, connected to the first router.

4. The firewall of claim 1, wherein the request received from the first router comprises a second request received by the first router from the two or more hosts at a third site assigned to the first network requesting a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.

5. The firewall of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a second sub-network prefix, in a second route advertisement, from the second router, wherein the second router is associated with the two or more hosts at the second site, and

wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.

6. The firewall of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

send the second sub-network prefix to the first router, in a third route advertisement, in response to the request from the first router, wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the hosts at the second site from the first router.

7. The firewall of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a second community value from the second router, in a third advertisement, associated with the second sub-network prefix;

generate a second local preference value based at least in part on the second community value and the first local preference value; and

send the second local preference value to the first router in a fourth advertisement.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions stored therein, which when executed by at least one processor of a firewall, cause the at least one processor to perform the operation of:

receiving a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send one or more packets to two or more hosts at the second site,

receiving a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to two or more hosts at the first site from the first router, and

receiving a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix;

generating a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value; and

sending the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a second sub-network prefix, in a second route advertisement, from the second router, wherein the second router is associated with the two or more hosts at the second site, and

wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site; and

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a second community value from the second router associated with the second sub-network prefix in a third advertisement;

generating a second local preference value based at least in part on the second community value and the first local preference value; and

sending the second local preference value to the first router in a fourth advertisement.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router, in a fifth route advertisement, wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site from the first router.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the first site.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first and second local preference values are numerical values.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the request from the first router is a request received from two or more hosts, on the first network, connected to the first router.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the request received from the first router comprises a second request received by the first router from hosts at a third site assigned to the first network requesting a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.

16. A method of routing packets between hosts at a first site and hosts at a second site in a network using a firewall, the method comprising:

receiving a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send one or more packets to two or more hosts at the second site,

receiving a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to two or more hosts at the first site from the first router, and

receiving a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix;

generating a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value; and

sending the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second sub-network prefix, in a second route advertisement, from the second router, wherein the second router is associated with the two or more hosts at the second site, and

wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site; and

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second community value from the second router associated with the second sub-network prefix in a third advertisement;

generating a second local preference value based at least in part on the second community value and the first local preference value; and

sending the second local preference value to the first router in a fourth advertisement.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router, in a fifth route advertisement, wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site from the first router.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the request from the first router is a request received from two or more hosts, on the first network, connected to the first router.

21. The method of claim 16, the request received from the first router comprises a second request received by the first router from two or more hosts at a third site assigned to the first network requesting a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.