Technique for maintaining and enforcing relative policies with thresholds
First Claim
1. A method for dynamically maintaining and enforcing relative policies for a prefix in a computer network, the method comprising:
- monitoring, by a node of the computer network, a performance characteristic for a prefix over a current path, the prefix associated with a policy;
maintaining a long-term average (LTA) value of the performance characteristic;
maintaining a short-term average (STA) value of the performance characteristic;
comparing the LTA value to the STA value to determine if the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least a configurable amount;
in the event the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least the configurable amount, considering, by the node, the prefix to be out-of-policy (OOP) for the policy, wherein a prefix is a portion common to a plurality of addresses that is used by a routing protocol to render routing decisions;
in the event the prefix is considered to be OOP, determining whether a more optimal path exists than the current path; and
selecting the more optimal path as a new current path.
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Abstract
A technique dynamically maintains and enforces relative policies for a prefix in a computer network. According to the novel technique, a node (e.g., an optimized edge router, OER) monitors performance characteristics for a particular prefix policy over a current path, and maintains a long-term average (LTA) value and a short-term average (STA) value of the performance characteristic. In the event the STA is worse than the LTA by a configurable amount, the prefix is considered “out-of-policy” (OOP) for that policy, and a new path may be selected accordingly. Otherwise, the prefix is considered “in-policy,” and the current path is upheld. Notably, a threshold may be manually configured to account for slow performance deterioration or “spikes,” such that if the performance characteristic (or STA) surpasses the threshold, the prefix is considered OOP.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for dynamically maintaining and enforcing relative policies for a prefix in a computer network, the method comprising:
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monitoring, by a node of the computer network, a performance characteristic for a prefix over a current path, the prefix associated with a policy; maintaining a long-term average (LTA) value of the performance characteristic; maintaining a short-term average (STA) value of the performance characteristic; comparing the LTA value to the STA value to determine if the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least a configurable amount; in the event the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least the configurable amount, considering, by the node, the prefix to be out-of-policy (OOP) for the policy, wherein a prefix is a portion common to a plurality of addresses that is used by a routing protocol to render routing decisions; in the event the prefix is considered to be OOP, determining whether a more optimal path exists than the current path; and selecting the more optimal path as a new current path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A node for dynamically maintaining and enforcing relative policies for a prefix in a computer network, the node comprising:
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one or more network interfaces; a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and adapted to execute software processes; and a memory adapted to store an optimized edge routing (OER) process executable by the processor, the OER process configured to; i) monitor a performance characteristic for a prefix over a current path, the prefix associated with a policy, ii) maintain a long-term average (LTA) value of the performance characteristic, iii) maintain a short-term average (STA) value of the performance characteristic, iv) compare the LTA value to the STA value to determine if the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least a configurable amount, and v) in the event the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least the configurable amount, consider the prefix to be out-of-policy (OOP) for the policy, wherein a prefix is a portion common to a plurality of addresses that is used by a routing protocol to render routing decisions; vi) in the event the prefix is considered OOP, determine whether a more optimal path exists than the current path; and vii) select the more optimal path as a new current path. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for dynamically maintaining and enforcing relative policies for a prefix in a computer network, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a computer-readable storage device having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising; monitoring a performance characteristic for a prefix over a current path, the prefix associated with a policy; maintaining a long-term average (LTA) value of the performance characteristic; maintaining a short-term average (STA) value of the performance characteristic; comparing the LTA value to the STA value to determine if the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least a configurable amount; considering the prefix to be out-of-policy (OOP) for the policy in the event the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least the configurable amount, wherein a prefix is a portion common to a plurality of addresses that is used by a routing protocol to render routing decisions; in the event the prefix is considered to be OOP, determining whether a more optimal path exists than the current path; and selecting the more optimal path as a new current path. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
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monitoring a performance characteristic, at a node of a computer network, for a prefix over a current path, the prefix associated with a policy; maintaining a long-term average (LTA) value of the performance characteristic; maintaining a short-term average (STA) value of the performance characteristic; comparing the LTA value to the STA value to determine if the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least a configurable amount; in the event the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least the configurable amount, considering at the node the prefix to be out-of-policy (OOP) for the policy, wherein a prefix is a portion common to a plurality of addresses that is used by a routing protocol to render routing decisions; in the event the prefix is considered to be OOP, determining whether a more optimal path exists than the current path; and selecting the more optimal path as a new current path. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method, comprising:
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monitoring, by a node of a computer network, a performance characteristic for a prefix over a current path, the prefix associated with a policy; maintaining a long-term average (LTA) value of the performance characteristic; maintaining a short-term average (STA) value of the performance characteristic; comparing the LTA value to the STA value, to determine if the STA value indicates a worse value than the LTA value by at least a configurable amount; in response to the comparing indicating that the STA value indicates the worse value than the LTA value by at least the configurable amount, considering, by the node, the prefix to be out-of-policy (OOP) for the policy; in response to the prefix being considered to be OOP, identifying a new path exists having a better performance characteristic than the current path used with the prefix; and selecting the new path as a new current path, wherein the prefix comprises a portion common to a plurality of addresses that is used by a routing protocol to render routing decisions. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification