Management of network routing domains in communication networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10009260-B2
Application number	US-201514945159-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to network management in communication networks, including but not limited to wireless communication networks including integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes within an IAB backhaul network. For example, a network node may determine to integrate a peer node, to which the network node has physical connectivity, into a network routing domain of which the routing node is a member. In another example, a network node may determine to truncate a peer node from a network routing domain. In various examples, the decisions to propagate or truncate the network routing domain may be made based on routing messages within a network routing domain, or in a plurality of overlapping network routing domains. In further examples, the decisions may be based on information about physical links between respective nodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing a first network routing domain within a communication network, operable at a network node having connectivity to a network entity utilizing a first logical link associated with the first network routing domain, the method comprising:
receiving first information relating to a first route between the network node and the network entity via the first network routing domain;
receiving second information relating to a second route between the network node and a first peer node outside of the first network routing domain;
determining to extend the first network routing domain to the first peer node, based on the first information and the second information;
establishing a second logical link with the first peer node, the second logical link associated with the first network routing domain;
exchanging the first information and the second information between the first logical link and the second logical link; and
forwarding traffic between the first logical link and the second logical link utilizing a first peer route derived from the first information and the second information.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing connectivity to the network entity utilizing a third logical link associated with a second network routing domain within the communication network;
receiving third information related to a third route between the network node and the network entity via the second network routing domain; and
selecting at least the first network routing domain to be extended to the first peer node based on the first information, the second information, and the third information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selecting at least the first network routing domain to be extended to the first peer node further comprises:
selecting both the first network routing domain and the second network routing domain to be extended to the first peer node based on the first information, the second information, and the third information;
establishing a fourth logical link with the first peer node, the fourth logical link associated with the second network routing domain;
exchanging the second information and the third information between the third logical link and the fourth logical link; and
forwarding traffic between the third logical link and the fourth logical link utilizing a second peer route derived from the second information and the third information.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selecting at least the first network routing domain to be extended to the first peer node further comprises:
selecting the first network routing domain to be extended to the first peer node over the second network routing domain based on the first information and the third information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein selecting the first network routing domain over the second network routing domain is based on a comparison between a first aggregate path cost metric based on the first information and the second information and a second aggregate path cost metric based on the second information and the third information.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining to extend the first network routing domain to the first peer node further comprises:
determining a first aggregate path cost metric based on the first information and the second information; and
determining to extend the first network routing domain to the first peer node when the first aggregate path cost metric compares favorably with a first path cost threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information comprises at least one of route metrics related to the first route, link metrics related to at least one physical link along the first route or domain metrics related to the first network routing domain.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second information comprises at least one link metric related to a link quality of a physical link between the network node and the first peer node.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second logical link is overlaid on the physical link.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the physical link between the network node and the first peer node is a wireless link.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network entity corresponds to a remote network or a destination node within the first network routing domain or within the remote network.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node is an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node and the communication network is an TAB network.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the first information and fourth information relating to a fourth route between the network node and a second peer node within the first network routing domain, to remove the second peer node from the first network routing domain; and
tearing down a fifth logical link associated with the first network routing domain between the network node and the second peer node.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining to remove the second peer node further comprises:
determining a third path cost metric based on the first information and the fourth information; and
determining to remove the second peer node from the first network routing domain when the third path cost metric compares unfavorably with a second path cost threshold.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving fifth information related to a fifth route between the second peer node and the network entity via a second network routing domain; and
selecting the second peer node to be removed from the first network routing domain over the second network routing domain based on the first information, the fourth information, and the fifth information.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a fifth logical link associated with the first network routing domain between the network node and a second peer node; and
tearing down at least the fifth logical link associated with the first network routing domain upon the second peer node determining to remove itself from the first network routing domain.

17. A network node within a communication network, comprising:
a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a network entity via a first logical link overlaid on a wireless link, the first logical link associated with a first network routing domain;
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the wireless transceiver, the at least one processor configured to:
receive first information relating to a first route between the network node and the network entity via the first network routing domain;
receive second information relating to a second route between the network node and a first peer node outside of the first network routing domain;
determine to extend the first network routing domain to the first peer node, based on the first information and the second information;
establish a second logical link with the first peer node, the second logical link associated with the first network routing domain;
exchange the first information and the second information between the first logical link and the second logical link; and
forward traffic between the first logical link and the second logical link utilizing a first peer route derived from the first information and the second information.

18. The network node of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
provide connectivity to the network entity utilizing a third logical link associated with a second network routing domain within the communicatio

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hampel Karl Georg
• Park Vincent

Classifications

• H04L45/124

  using a combination of metrics · CPC title

• H04W40/32

  for defining a routing cluster membership · CPC title

• H04L45/04

  Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing · CPC title

• H04L45/46

  Cluster building · CPC title

• H04L45/245 Primary

  Link aggregation, e.g. trunking · CPC title