Method for routing packets by squelched flooding
First Claim
1. In a packet-switched communication network, a method for routing flooding packets to nodes in said network, said method comprising the steps of:
- assigning at each local node a link sequence value to each communication link with said local node;
exchanging between each said local node and each remote nodes said link sequence value assigned to a common communication link such that each said local node is advised of the link sequence value assigned by each remote node to a communication link with said local node; and
transmitting flooding packets only via communication links having link sequence values with a priority above a link sequence value threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique is provided whereby broadcast or flooding packets received at a node are only rebroadcast if specific criteria are met. The criteria are based on a packet routing protocol wherein sequence information is maintained at each node on a link basis for each received packet and wherein received packets are rebroadcast only to other nodes with low sequence numbers. Each node maintains information on each other node within its communication range and assigns a link sequence number to the linked node at the time of the first exchange of a link information packet. Each node works backwards from the information sent to it to determine which other nodes should receive rebroadcast packets. In a packet flooding situation, a node rebroadcasts a flooding packet only to those other nodes which have low sequence numbers or for which the rebroadcasting node is a low sequence number of the other node.
200 Citations
8 Claims
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1. In a packet-switched communication network, a method for routing flooding packets to nodes in said network, said method comprising the steps of:
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assigning at each local node a link sequence value to each communication link with said local node; exchanging between each said local node and each remote nodes said link sequence value assigned to a common communication link such that each said local node is advised of the link sequence value assigned by each remote node to a communication link with said local node; and transmitting flooding packets only via communication links having link sequence values with a priority above a link sequence value threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. In a packet-switched communication network having independent nodes capable of communicating via communication links, a method for routing flooding packets to nodes in said network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a packet at a local node from a remote node via a communication link; testing said packet to determine whether said packet originates from a new node, said new node being said remote node having no communication link established with said local node; sending from said local node to said new node a sequence number inquiry via said communication link to inquire of a sequence number assigned by said new node to said local node for said communication link; assigning at said new node a sequence number to said communication link established with said new node, said sequence number specifying a relative priority of communication via said communication link;
thereafterreceiving from said new node at said local node a sequence number response, said sequence number response comprising said sequence number; storing said sequence number at said local node; receiving at said local node a flooding packet, said flooding packet being a message intended for all nodes in said packet network; and retransmitting said flooding packet to said new node only if said sequence number has a higher priority than a preselected threshold for a link sequence. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification