Methods, systems, and computer program products for associating a name with a network path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12425324-B2
Application number	US-202017123068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for associating a name with a network path. In an aspect, a first message is received, from a first node by a second node via a first network path in a network. A first symbolic identifier of the first node is identified, wherein the first network path includes a first hop included in communicatively coupling the first node and the second node. Second path information is identified that identifies a second hop in a second network path included in communicatively coupling the second node and a third node. A second message is sent, identifying the first symbolic identifier and the first hop, to the third node via the second hop to associate the first symbolic identifier with a third network path that includes a node included in at least one of the first hop and the second hop.

First claim

I claim:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a current node in a network path between a transmitting node and a receiving node in a network, cause the current node to:
based on a receipt of a first packet that is specified by a protocol utilizing an Internet Protocol (IP) network protocol and that includes first data, identify, as being for use by the current node, a first identifier in a destination field of a first header of the first packet, the first identifier being predetermined before the receipt of the first packet and being of an identifier type of a plurality of identifier types that are supported by the protocol and that cause different data to be routed differently based on which of the plurality of identifier types are utilized for routing the different data, the plurality of identifier types including at least three of:
a first identifier type that:
is in an identifier space having a scope that spans multiple nodes only in a region of the network in which the protocol is administered,
identifies a particular region that includes a plurality of region nodes, and
does not specify any particular network interface, such that:
in the event that the identifier type of the first identifier, that is identified as being for use by the current node which is one of the multiple nodes, includes the first identifier type: the current node is caused to transmit, based on the first identifier of the first identifier type, the first data from the current node toward a first path node that is at least partially in the particular region, via a first path segment selected from a plurality of selectable path segments, including at least one multi-hop path segment with a first hop segment and a second hop segment, such that the both the first hop segment and the second hop segment are capable of being selected based on the first identifier of the first identifier type;

a second identifier type that:
is in an identifier space having a scope that spans at least a portion of only a single node, and
identifies a particular network interface of a particular link path segment that directly connects the single node to an adjacent node, such that:
in the event that the identifier type of the first identifier, that is identified as being for use by the current node which is the single node, includes the second identifier type: the current node is caused to transmit, based on the first identifier of the second identifier type, the first data from the current node toward the receiving node to the adjacent node via the particular network interface of the particular link path segment that directly connects the single node to the adjacent node;

a third identifier type that:
is in an identifier space having a scope that spans plural nodes only in the region of the network in which the protocol is administered,
identifies a particular path node, and
does not specify any particular path segment in communication with the particular path node, such that:
in the event that the identifier type of the first identifier, that is identified as being for use by the current node which is one of the plural nodes, includes the third identifier type: the current node is caused to transmit, based on the first identifier of the third identifier type, the first data from the current node toward the receiving node to the particular path node; and

a fourth identifier type that:
includes a symbolic identifier, and
corresponds to a plurality of corresponding path segment identifiers: which are predetermined before the receipt of the first packet, which identify a plurality of corresponding path segments, and which are not included in the first packet header before the receipt of the first packet, such that:
in the event that the identifier type of the first identifier, that is identified as being for use by the current node, includes the fourth identifier type: the current node is caused to utilize the first identifier of the fourth identifier type to identify the plurality of corresponding path segment identifiers, and the current node is further caused to transmit, based on the plurality of corresponding path segment identifiers, the first data from the current node toward the receiving node via the plurality of corresponding path segments, such that the plurality of corresponding path segments are capable of being selected based on the first identifier of the fourth identifier type.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: the plurality of identifier types supported by the protocol include the second identifier type, the third identifier type, and the fourth identifier type.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: the plurality of identifier types supported by the protocol include the first identifier type, the second identifier type, and the fourth identifier type.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: the plurality of identifier types supported by the protocol include the first identifier type, the third identifier type, and the fourth identifier type.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: the plurality of identifier types supported by the protocol include the first identifier type, the second identifier type, and the third identifier type.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: the first identifier is identified as being an only identifier in the destination field of the first header of the first packet.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: a second identifier is included in the first packet outside of the destination field for being identified as being for use by another node in the network path to route the first data toward the receiving node.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: an operation identifier is identified based on the first identifier for performing an operation in connection with routing the first data.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: the first identifier is of the first identifier type and is the only identifier in the first header of the first packet, the transmitting node includes a source node, and the first path node includes the receiving node.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the current node, cause the current node to operate such that: the first identifier is of the second identifier type and is the only identifier in the first header of the first packet, the transmitting node includes a source node, and th

Assignees

• Sitting Man Llc
• Morris Routing Tech Llc

Inventors

• Morris Robert Paul

Classifications

• H04L45/50

  using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS] · CPC title

• H04L45/04

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

• H04L45/745

  Address table lookup; Address filtering · CPC title

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• H04L61/5007

  Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title