At&t Intellectual Property I, LP

Mark Richard Sundt

James Uttaro

Eric Rosenberg

An inter-provider network architecture system is disclosed. In particular, the system may enable a service provider network and a partner network to take advantage of each other's network cores, such that the resources of the service provider network and the partner network may be more effectively utilized to service customers of both networks. By doing so, not only can the service provider network and the partner network take advantage of each other's network resources, but they can also give each other's customers broader network reach into regions that are not typically serviced by their own networks. The service provider network may effectively accomplish this by providing a limited view of the service provider network to the partner network, or vice versa, so that traffic and data can flow between the networks without each network having to be fully aware of each other's entire network topologies.

Inter-provider network architecture

Methods and apparatus to determine an alternate route in a network are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include processing a label stack of a data packet at a first node to determine whether the data packet is undergoing alternative routing to a destination. Such example methods also include, in response to determining that the data packet is undergoing alternative routing, processing the label stack to determine multiplicity values for neighbor nodes of the first node, respective ones of the multiplicity values representing respective numbers of times the data packet has been routed to respective ones of the neighbor nodes while undergoing alternative routing to the destination. Such example methods further include updating the label stack to increase a respective multiplicity value associated with the first node prior to routing the data packet from the first node to a first one of the neighbor nodes selected based on the multiplicity values.

Methods and apparatus to determine an alternate route in a network

Methods and apparatus to determine an alternate route in a network are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to route a data packet to a destination in a network comprises determining multiplicity values for a set of neighbor nodes, a multiplicity value representing a number of times the data packet has been routed to a respective neighbor node in the set of neighbor nodes, and selecting, based on the multiplicity values, a first neighbor node from the set of neighbor nodes to which to send the data packet to route the data packet to the destination.

In a network comprising a provider edge router coupled to each of a mated pair of core routers in a core network, a system and methodology for rerouting upstream traffic destined for the provider edge router in the event of a link failure between one of the core routers and the provider edge router. By detecting a link failure between a first of the mated pair of core routers and the provider edge router, and directing the upstream traffic destined for the provider edge router to a second of the mated pair of core routers, internal gateway protocol (IGP) reconvergence events are not triggered.

Method to reduce routing convergence at the edge

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a method, which can comprise, from a central routing device of a plurality of central routing devices, automatically polling each of a plurality of Provider Edge routers with Bidirectional Forwarding Detection protocol messages. The method can comprise automatically determining a suspected failure of a Provider Edge router of the plurality of Provider Edge routers.

Devices, systems, and/or methods for monitoring IP network equipment

A system and method for routing traffic from an ingress provider edge router to an egress provider edge router that eliminates the need to share state information between the ingress provider edge router and a plurality of core routers in a core network. The ingress provider edge router and egress provider edge router are each coupled to at least two core routers among the plurality of core routers in the core network, the ingress provider edge router learning routes with a next hop equal to an IP address of the egress provider edge router through an internal border gateway protocol (iBGP). The ingress provider edge router balances traffic flows on uplinks between the ingress provider edge router and the at least two core routers coupled to the ingress provider edge router without knowledge of network topology in the core network.

Growing community of inventors

Red Bank, NJ, United States of America

Mark Richard Sundt