DYNAMICALLY ENABLING SELECTIVE ROUTING CAPABILITY

• US 20140269402A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vasseur, Jean-Philippe, Dasgupta, Sukrit
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a particular node in a shared-media communication network determines a resource level and in response to determining a trigger condition (e.g., that the resource level is below a threshold), the particular node enters a selective forwarding mode. In the selective forwarding mode, the particular node does not forward non-critical messages. The particular node also notifies one or more neighboring nodes in the shared-media communication network of the entered selective forwarding mode. In another embodiment, a node may receive from a neighboring node, an indication of having entered a selective forwarding mode, and in response the node may forward only critical messages to the neighboring node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a trigger condition at a particular node in a shared-media communication network;

in response to the trigger condition, entering into a selective forwarding mode, wherein non-critical messages are not forwarded by the particular node in the selective forwarding mode; and

notifying one or more neighboring nodes in the shared-media communication network of the entered selective forwarding mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the trigger condition comprises:

determining a level of resources of the particular node; and

determining the trigger in response to the resource level being below a first threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring one or more resources to determine the resource level, wherein the plurality of resources may be selected from a group consisting of;

available memory, a processing capacity, and a battery level.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to the resource level being above a second threshold while in the selective forwarding mode, clearing the selective forwarding mode to resume forwarding non-critical messages.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying one or more topologically subordinate nodes that at least one topological ancestor node has entered the selective forwarding mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to operate as a leaf node; and

in response,

ceasing to forward traffic.

7. An apparatus comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a shared-media communication network as a particular node;

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

determine a trigger condition at the particular node in a shared-media communication network;

enter into a selective forwarding mode, in response to the trigger condition, wherein non-critical messages are not forwarded by the particular node in the selective forwarding mode; and

notify one or more neighboring nodes in the shared-media communication network of the entered selective forwarding mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the process when executed to determine the trigger condition, is further operable to:

determine a level of resources of the particular node; and

determine the trigger in response to the resource level being below a first threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

monitor one or more resources to determine the resource level, wherein the plurality of resources may be selected from a group consisting of;

available memory, a processing capacity, and a battery level.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

clear the selective forwarding mode to resume forwarding non-critical messages, in response to the resource level being above a second threshold while in the selective forwarding mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

notify one or more topologically subordinate nodes that at least one topological ancestor node has entered the selective forwarding mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

receive an instruction to operate as a leaf node; and

in response,

cease forwarding traffic.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a notification from a neighboring node in a shared-media communication network indicating that the neighboring node has entered a selective forwarding mode; and

in response to the neighboring node having entered the selective forwarding mode, sending only critical messages to the neighboring node.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting an alternate node in the shared-media communication network; and

in response to the neighboring node having entered the selective forwarding mode, sending non-critical messages to the alternate node.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in response to the alternate node providing an acceptable path for critical messages, sending critical messages to the alternative node.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to receiving an indication that the neighboring node operates as a leaf node, sending all messages to the alternate node.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the alternate node is a backup parent node in a directed acyclic graph (DAG) bypassing the neighboring node in the selective forwarding mode.

18. An apparatus comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a shared-media communication network;

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

receive a notification from a neighboring node in a shared-media communication network indicating that the neighboring node has entered a selective forwarding mode; and

send only critical messages to the neighboring node, in response to the neighboring node having entered the selective forwarding mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

select an alternate node in the shared-media communication network; and

send non-critical messages to the alternate node, in response to the neighboring node having entered the selective forwarding mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

send critical messages to the alternative node, in response to the alternate node providing an acceptable path for critical messages.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

send all messages to the alternate node in response to receiving an indication that the neighboring node operates as a leaf node.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the alternate node is a backup parent node in a directed acyclic graph (DAG) bypassing the neighboring node in the selective forwarding mode.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a management node for a shared-media communication network, a message from a particular node indicating that the particular node has entered a selective forwarding mode;

determining an alternate path used to forward non-critical traffic that bypasses the particular node;

monitoring the alternate path to determine whether the alternate path complies with a service level agreement for all traffic; and

in response to determining that the alternate path complies with the service level agreement for all traffic, sending an instruction to the particular node to operate as a leaf node.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the alternate path includes:

an alternate node, wherein the alternate node is a backup parent node in a directed acyclic graph (DAG) bypassing the neighboring node in the selective forwarding mode.