System and method for router data distribution
First Claim
1. In a router network, a reliable method of broadcasting dynamically changing routing tables incrementally from at least one source to multiple consumers in accordance with a protocol, comprising:
- maintaining a copy of the current contents of said routing tables on said at least one source, said routing tables defining a destination of data packets as it arrives, and centrally maintained on a master control processor (MCP) by a routing protocol application;
communicating said dynamic changes in said routing tables from said at least one source to a single active distributor;
buffering said dynamic changes at said distributor; and
broadcasting said dynamic changes in messages from said distributor to said multiple consumers, such that said broadcast dynamic changes are received and applied consistently across said multiple consumers, the set of routes received from a given peer temporarily stored in memory so that the broadcast dynamic changes provide said copy of the current contents from the one source to each routing table, such that the routing tables contain at least one unique session identifier associated with each specific source dynamic routing protocol (DRP) application, and contain consistently identical dynamic changes, such that each routing table contains the same external routing data and said messages from said distributor to said multiple consumers are paced at said distributor, while avoiding message congestion and message storms, wherein timers in said distributor minimize bandwidth saturation of said consumers, and wherein said distributor uses a collection of timer intervals, in broadcasting of said dynamic changes in messages, that are not integral multiples of one another, thereby assisting message load balancing by avoiding cyclical patterns.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Employing an asymmetric protocol, multiple sources reliably broadcast dynamically changing routing tables incrementally across multiple consumers from a single distributor. Each of multiple sources sends current tables to the distributor using a snapshot mechanism. Messages are buffered, segmented, paced by timers, and broadcast to the consumers repetitively at the distributor. Negative acknowledgments from the consumer request missing messages from the distributor after receipt of a keepalive message from the distributor. The distributor marks the missing messages and retransmits replacements from a history buffer only after firing of a resend timer. A unique Session ID included in all messages originating from each particular source facilitates reliable table distribution from multiple sources to multiple consumers via a single distributor.
37 Citations
34 Claims
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1. In a router network, a reliable method of broadcasting dynamically changing routing tables incrementally from at least one source to multiple consumers in accordance with a protocol, comprising:
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maintaining a copy of the current contents of said routing tables on said at least one source, said routing tables defining a destination of data packets as it arrives, and centrally maintained on a master control processor (MCP) by a routing protocol application; communicating said dynamic changes in said routing tables from said at least one source to a single active distributor; buffering said dynamic changes at said distributor; and broadcasting said dynamic changes in messages from said distributor to said multiple consumers, such that said broadcast dynamic changes are received and applied consistently across said multiple consumers, the set of routes received from a given peer temporarily stored in memory so that the broadcast dynamic changes provide said copy of the current contents from the one source to each routing table, such that the routing tables contain at least one unique session identifier associated with each specific source dynamic routing protocol (DRP) application, and contain consistently identical dynamic changes, such that each routing table contains the same external routing data and said messages from said distributor to said multiple consumers are paced at said distributor, while avoiding message congestion and message storms, wherein timers in said distributor minimize bandwidth saturation of said consumers, and wherein said distributor uses a collection of timer intervals, in broadcasting of said dynamic changes in messages, that are not integral multiples of one another, thereby assisting message load balancing by avoiding cyclical patterns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In a router system, an asymmetric reliable table distribution protocol comprising:
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a distributor including multiple senders including timers, buffers, and history queues; multiple consumers including update queues and tables; said distributor broadcasting three different classes of messages including initialization, incremental update, and keepalive messages to said consumers; and said consumer sending, in a broadcast of dynamic changes in messages, two different classes of messages including initialization start messages and negative acknowledgement messages to said distributor, such that identical copies of a dynamically changing routing table are maintained across all of said multiple consumers, wherein timers in said distributor minimize bandwidth saturation of said consumers, and wherein timer intervals of said timers in said distributor are not integral multiples of one another, thereby avoiding cyclical patterns , the messages containing routes received from a given peer temporarily stored in the memory so that the broadcast dynamic changes provide said copy of the current contents from the one source to each routing table, such that the routing tables contain at least one unique session identifier associated with each specific source dynamic routing protocol (DRP) application, and contain consistently identical dynamic changes and each routing table contains the same external routing data, and improving message load balancing and minimizing message storms, said routing tables defining a destination of data packets as it arrives, and centrally maintained on a master control processor (MCP) by a routing protocol application. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. In a router network, a reliable method of broadcasting dynamically changing routing tables incrementally from at least one source to multiple consumers in accordance with a protocol, comprising:
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maintaining a copy of the current contents of said routing tables on said at least one source, said routing tables defining a destination of data packets as it arrives, and centrally maintained on a master control processor (MCP) by a routing protocol application; communicating said dynamic changes in said routing tables from said at least one source to a single active distributor;
buffering said dynamic changes at said distributor; andbroadcasting a plurality of classes of messages to said multiple consumers, including broadcasting said dynamic changes in at least one of said plurality of classes of messages, such that said broadcast dynamic changes are received and applied consistently across said multiple consumers, and wherein each of said classes of messages is assigned a budgeted time interval for broadcasting the set of routes received from a given peer temporarily stored in the memory, the broadcast dynamic changes providing said copy of the current contents from the one source to each routing table, such that the routing tables contain at least one unique session identifier associated with each specific source dynamic routing protocol (DRP) application, and contain consistently identical dynamic changes and each routing table contains the same external routing data, and avoiding message congestion and message storms.
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Specification