METHOD, SYSTEM, AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING FORWARDING CAPABILITIES DURING ROUTE CONVERGENCE

• US 20170289013A1
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Haas, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,063,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for improving forwarding capabilities during route convergence may include (1) identifying, at an upstream network device, a set of updated routes that define network paths that have each experienced at least one topology change since the upstream network device last converged with a downstream network device, (2) determining, at the upstream network device, levels of priority for the set of updated routes based at least in part on amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes, (3) arranging, at the upstream network device, the set of updated routes in a prioritized order in accordance with the levels of priority, and then (4) converging the upstream network device with the downstream network device by sending the set of updated routes in the prioritized order to the downstream network device. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, at an upstream network device, a set of updated routes that define network paths that have each experienced at least one topology change since the upstream network device last converged with a downstream network device;

determining, at the upstream network device, levels of priority for the set of updated routes based at least in part on amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes;

arranging, at the upstream network device, the set of updated routes in a prioritized order in accordance with the levels of priority determined based at least in part on the amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths; and

converging the upstream network device with the downstream network device by sending the set of updated routes in the prioritized order to the downstream network device such that the downstream network device is able to forward traffic by way of higher priority routes within the set of updated routes before lower priority routes within the set of updated routes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes by way of a traffic flow analysis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the levels of priority for the set of updated routes comprises:

determining that a first route within the set of updated routes carries an amount of traffic that exceeds an amount of traffic carried by a second route within the set of updated routes; and

applying a higher priority level to the first route than the second route due at least in part to the first route carrying an amount of traffic that exceeds the amount of traffic carried by the second route.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the levels of priority for the set of updated routes comprises:

identifying a route within the set of updated routes that carries more traffic than any other route within the set of updated routes;

identifying another route within the set of updated routes that carries less traffic than any other route within the set of updated routes; and

ranking the set of updated routes from highest priority to lowest priority such that a highest priority level is applied to the route and a lowest priority level is applied to the other route.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein arranging the set of updated routes in the prioritized order comprises ordering the set of updated routes in a queue according to the ranking such that:

the route with the highest priority level is the first route sent to the downstream network device during the convergence; and

the other route with the lowest priority level is the last route sent to the downstream network device during the convergence.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes;

and

wherein determining the levels of priority for the set of updated routes comprises;

determining that a route carries an amount of traffic that exceeds a high-traffic threshold;

applying a high priority level to the route due at least in part to the route carrying an amount of traffic that exceeds the high-traffic threshold;

determining that another route carries an amount of traffic that does not reach the high-traffic threshold; and

applying, to the other route, a priority level that is lower than the high priority level due at least in part to the other route carrying an amount of traffic that does not reach the high-traffic threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the levels of priority for the set of updated routes comprises:

obtaining user input that indicates a user-selected priority level for at least one route within the set of updated routes; and

applying the user-selected priority level to the route due at least in part to the user input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the levels of priority for the set of updated routes comprises identifying at least one route within the set of updated routes that has been prioritized based at least in part on a mission-critical status; and

arranging the set of updated routes in the prioritized order comprises positioning, in a queue, the route ahead of at least one other route that carries an amount of traffic that exceeds an amount of traffic carried by the route due at least in part on the route'"'"'s mission-critical status.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein converging the upstream network device with the downstream network device comprises performing a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) convergence operation with respect to the upstream network device and the downstream network device by sending the set of updated routes to the downstream network device via BGP.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein converging the upstream network device with the downstream network device comprises enabling the downstream network device to begin forwarding traffic to the higher priority routes earlier than the lower priority routes during the convergence.

11. A system comprising:

an identification module, stored in memory, that identifies, at an upstream network device, a set of updated routes that define network paths that have each experienced at least one topology change since the upstream network device last converged with a downstream network device;

a prioritization module, stored in memory, that determines, at the upstream network device, levels of priority for the set of updated routes based at least in part on amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes;

a sorting module, stored in memory, that arranges, at the upstream network device, the set of updated routes in a prioritized order in accordance with the levels of priority determined based at least in part on the amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths;

a convergence module, stored in memory, that converges the upstream network device with the downstream network device by sending the set of updated routes in the prioritized order to the downstream network device such that the downstream network device is able to forward traffic by way of higher priority routes within the set of updated routes before lower priority routes within the set of updated routes; and

at least one physical processor configured to execute the identification module, the prioritization module, the sorting module, and the convergence module.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a monitoring module, stored in memory, that monitors the amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes by way of a traffic flow analysis;

and

wherein the physical processor is further configured to execute the monitoring module.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the prioritization module:

determines that a first route within the set of updated routes carries an amount of traffic that exceeds an amount of traffic carried by a second route within the set of updated routes; and

applies a higher priority level to the first route than the second route due at least in part to the first route carrying an amount of traffic that exceeds the amount of traffic carried by the second route.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the identification module;

identifies a route within the set of updated routes that carries more traffic than any other route within the set of updated routes; and

identifies another route within the set of updated routes that carries less traffic than any other route within the set of updated routes; and

the prioritization module ranks the set of updated routes from highest priority to lowest priority such that a highest priority level is applied to the route and a lowest priority level is applied to the other route.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sorting module orders the set of updated routes in a queue according to the ranking such that:

the route with the highest priority level is the first route sent to the downstream network device during the convergence; and

the other route with the lowest priority level is the last route sent to the downstream network device during the convergence.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a monitoring module, stored in memory, that monitors the amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes;

and

wherein the prioritization module;

determines that a route carries an amount of traffic that exceeds a high-traffic threshold;

applies a high priority level to the route due at least in part to the route carrying an amount of traffic that exceeds the high-traffic threshold;

determines that another route carries an amount of traffic that does not reach the high-traffic threshold; and

applies, to the other route, a priority level that is lower than the high priority level due at least in part to the other route carrying an amount of traffic that does not reach the high-traffic threshold; and

wherein the physical processor is further configured to execute the monitoring module.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the prioritization module:

obtains user input that indicates a user-selected priority level for at least one route within the set of updated routes; and

applies the user-selected priority level to the route due at least in part to the user input.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the prioritization module:

determines the levels of priority for the set of updated routes comprises identifying at least one route within the set of updated routes that has been prioritized based at least in part on a mission-critical status; and

arranges the set of updated routes in the prioritized order comprises positioning, in a queue, the route ahead of at least one other route that carries an amount of traffic that exceeds an amount of traffic carried by the route due at least in part on the route'"'"'s mission-critical status.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the convergence module performs a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) convergence operation with respect to the upstream network device and the downstream network device by sending the set of updated routes to the downstream network device via BGP.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a memory device that stores a set of updated routes that define network paths that have each experienced at least one topology change since the upstream network device last converged with a downstream network device; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the memory device, wherein the processing unit;

determines, at the upstream network device, levels of priority for the set of updated routes based at least in part on amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths defined by the set of updated routes;

arranges, at the upstream network device, the set of updated routes in a prioritized order in accordance with the levels of priority determined based at least in part on the amounts of traffic that traverse the network paths; and

converges the upstream network device with the downstream network device by sending the set of updated routes in the prioritized order to the downstream network device such that the downstream network device is able to forward traffic by way of higher priority routes within the set of updated routes before lower priority routes within the set of updated routes.