Service-specific, performance-based routing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10374828-B2
Application number	US-201514974369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

Various implementations disclosed herein include systems, methods and apparatuses that involve a first device selecting a data tunnel for sending packets of a determined network traffic type to another device. For example, in some implementations, a method includes a first device receiving a first group of packets for forwarding to a second device. The method includes the first device retrieving packet-forwarding rules for forwarding the first group of packets, and selecting a first private network data tunnel from a plurality of private network data tunnels between the first device and the second device, for forwarding a first packet of the first group of packets, based on satisfaction of the retrieved packet-forwarding rules. A respective private network data tunnel is associated with a respective uplink of a plurality of uplinks of the first network device. The first private network data tunnel is associated with a first uplink of the first device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at a first network device, including a memory, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, one or more processors and two or more communication ports:
receiving a first group of packets for forwarding to a second network device;
obtaining packet-forwarding rules for forwarding the first group of packets;
selecting a first private network data tunnel from a plurality of private network data tunnels established between the first network device and the second network device, for forwarding a first packet of the first group of packets, wherein the first private network data tunnel satisfies the packet-forwarding rules, wherein each private network data tunnel of the plurality is associated with an active uplink of the first network device;
forwarding the first packet to the second network device through the first private network data tunnel;
receiving a first reply message from the second network device, through a second private network data tunnel of the plurality of private network data tunnels;
selecting a third private network data tunnel from the plurality of private network data tunnels for forwarding remaining packets of the first group of packets to the second network device; and
forwarding the remaining packets of the first group of packets to the second network device through the third private network data tunnel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a type of traffic associated with the first group of packets; and
obtaining packet-forwarding rules for forwarding the first group of packets, based in part on the type of traffic.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of private network data tunnels are simultaneously maintained between the first network device and the second network device, and wherein a type of traffic associated with the first group of packets includes one or more of audio, video, voice-over-IP, web browsing, financial transaction or file transfer traffic.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving performance parameter values for each private network data tunnel of the plurality of private network data tunnels, in accordance with a determination that the packet-forwarding rules include one or more performance-based rules.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet-forwarding rules include one or more policy-based rules.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding the first packet to the second network device includes encapsulating the first packet with a first wrapper, wherein the first wrapper includes contact point information corresponding to the first uplink corresponding to the first private network data tunnel.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a first peer uplink identifier from the first reply message, wherein the first peer uplink identifier identifies a first peer uplink of a plurality of peer uplinks of the second network device, associated with the second private network data tunnel.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein selecting the third private network data tunnel is based in part on the identified first peer uplink of the second network device associated with the second private network data tunnel.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the third private network data tunnel is associated with the first uplink of the first network device and the first peer uplink of the second network device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending one or more performance packets to the second network device through a respective data tunnel of the plurality of data tunnels;
receiving one or more performance-feedback packets from the second network device through the respective data tunnel;
assessing one or more performance parameters for the respective data tunnel; and
updating performance parameter values for the respective data tunnel, based on the one or more performance parameters assessed.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein selection of the first private network data tunnel is based in part on historical selection data.

12. A first network device comprising:
two or more communication ports;
one or more processors;
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first network device to:
receive a first group of packets for forwarding to a second network device;
retrieve packet-forwarding rules for forwarding the first group of packets; and
select a first private network data tunnel from a plurality of private network data tunnels established between the first network device and the second network device, for forwarding a first packet of the first group of packets, wherein the first private network data tunnel satisfies the packet-forwarding rules, wherein each private network data tunnel of the plurality is associated with an active uplink of the first network device;

forwarding the first packet to the second network device through the first private network data tunnel;
receiving a first reply message from the second network device, through a second private network data tunnel of the plurality of private network data tunnels;
selecting a third private network data tunnel from the plurality of private network data tunnels for forwarding remaining packets of the first group of packets to the second network device; and
forwarding the remaining packets of the first group of packets to the second network device through the third private network data tunnel.

13. The first network device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the first network device to determine a type of traffic associated with the first group of packets, and to retrieve packet-forwarding rules for forwarding the first group of packets, based in part on the type of traffic.

14. The first network device of claim 12 ,
wherein the instructions further cause the first network device to retrieve performance parameter values for each private network data tunnel of the plurality of private network data tunnels, in accordance with a determination that the packet-forwarding rules include one or more performance-based rules.

15. The first network device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the first network device to select the first private network data tunnel partially on a basis of historical selection data.

16. The first network device of claim 12 , wherein the packet-forwarding rules include one or more policy-based rules.

17. The first network device of claim 12 , wherein a type of traffic associated with the first group of packets includes one or more of audio, video, voice-over-IP, web browsing, financial transaction or file transfer traffic.

18. A
non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the a processors cause a system to perform operations comprising:
receive a first group of packets for forwarding to a second network device;
retrieve packet-forwarding rules for forwarding the first group of packets; and
select, by the first network device, a first private network data tunnel from a plurality of private network data tunnels simultaneously maintained between the first network device and the second network device, for forwarding a first packet of the first group of packets, wherein the first private network data tunnel satisfies the packet-forwarding rules, wherein the first private network data tunnel is associated with a first uplink of the first network device;

forward the first packet to the second network device through the first pr

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Shanks Robert Tristan
• Patel Jignesh Devji
• Verkaik Patrick Douglas
• Altas Selahattin Daghan
• Aronow Joseph Morgan
• Delegard Justin
• Koenig Dylan Jason

Classifications

• H04L12/4633 Primary

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L45/3065

  for real time traffic · CPC title