Methods and apparatus to support routing of information
First Claim
1. In the network supporting virtual network connections associated with clients communicating through a first node, a method comprising:
- maintaining separate upstream routing policy information and downstream routing policy information at the first node, the upstream routing policy information being configured at the first node to identify a second node to forward upstream traffic received from at least a first client communicating through the first node, the downstream routing policy information being configured at the first node to forward downstream traffic received from the first client; and
for traffic transmitted by the first client through the first node intended for receipt by a second client downstream of the first node, preventing use of the downstream routing policy information to route the traffic intended for receipt by the second client and instead utilizing the upstream routing policy information in the first node to ensure forwarding of the traffic transmitted by the first client intended for receipt by the second client from the first node to the second node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A first network node maintains separate routing policy information to forward network traffic depending on a direction of the network traffic. Upstream routing policy information at the first node identifies a second node to forward upstream traffic received from at least a first client communicating through the first node. Downstream routing policy information at the first node identifies how to forward downstream network traffic received from another node to the first client. By preventing use of the downstream policy routing information by the first client to route upstream network traffic, the first node is able to forward traffic along a path that the network traffic otherwise would have not traveled. For example, network traffic communicated through the first node can be forced to travel through another network node through which it would have not otherwise have passed if the downstream policy information was available to route the network traffic.
33 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In the network supporting virtual network connections associated with clients communicating through a first node, a method comprising:
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maintaining separate upstream routing policy information and downstream routing policy information at the first node, the upstream routing policy information being configured at the first node to identify a second node to forward upstream traffic received from at least a first client communicating through the first node, the downstream routing policy information being configured at the first node to forward downstream traffic received from the first client; and for traffic transmitted by the first client through the first node intended for receipt by a second client downstream of the first node, preventing use of the downstream routing policy information to route the traffic intended for receipt by the second client and instead utilizing the upstream routing policy information in the first node to ensure forwarding of the traffic transmitted by the first client intended for receipt by the second client from the first node to the second node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer system at a first node of a network that at least partially supports a virtual network connection, the computer system comprising:
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a processor; a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; a communication interface that supports communication with other nodes of the physical network; and an interconnect coupling the processor, the memory unit, and the communication interface, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of; maintaining separate upstream routing policy information and downstream routing policy information at the first node, the upstream routing policy information being configured at the first node to identify a second node to forward upstream traffic received from at least a first client communicating through the first node, the downstream routing policy information being configured at the first node to forward downstream traffic received from the first client; and for traffic transmitted by the first client through the first node intended for receipt by the second client downstream of the first node, preventing use of the downstream routing policy information to route the traffic intended for receipt by the second client and instead utilizing the upstream routing policy information in the first node to ensure forwarding of the traffic transmitted by the first client intended for receipt by the second client from the first node to the second node. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. In a network supporting virtual network connections associated with clients communicating through a first node, a method comprising:
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maintaining separate upstream routing policy information and downstream policy information at the first node, the upstream routing policy information being associated with a first path for traffic transmitted from a first client to a destination and the upstream routing policy information being used at the first node to identify a second node along the first path to forward upstream traffic received from the first client communicating through the first node, the downstream routing policy information being associated with a second path for traffic transmitted from the first client to the destination different from the first path; and for traffic transmitted by the first client through the first node, preventing use of the downstream policy routing information to route the traffic along the entire second path and instead utilizing the upstream routing policy information in the first node to ensure forwarding of the traffic transmitted by the first client from the first node to the second node. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification