BGP IGP Route Segmentation for Network Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of route reflectors in telecommunications networks often leads to overloading of routes due to broadcasting a single 'best' route, and as more customers are added, the number of potential routes exceeds the processing and storage capabilities of provider edges, slowing down transmission speeds.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routes with customer-specific next-hop values to allow multiple egress points for packet transmission, reducing the number of routes maintained by network components and enabling load balancing among connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the route reflector device broadcasts every received route to customer end devices, then all available routing paths are made available to customers, but the processing and storage capabilities of provider edges and route reflectors are exceeded, slowing down transmission speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the routing information by separating BGP route announcements from IGP route details. Instead of broadcasting complete routing tables to all devices, the system divides routing information into two parts: BGP routes are announced by route reflectors for customer-specific next-hop values, while IGP routes are maintained locally by provider edges for actual packet forwarding. This segmentation reduces the routing table size at each device while maintaining multiple egress path availability.
2Productivity
If the route reflector device broadcasts only a preferred or best route to other devices, then processing and storage requirements are reduced, but all traffic is forced onto one route potentially overloading that route when other open routes are available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling different network devices to have different routing information based on their roles. Route reflectors maintain and broadcast BGP route announcements with customer-specific next-hop values, while provider edges maintain local IGP routing tables with multiple egress paths. This allows each device to have optimized routing information suited to its function, with provider edges having full knowledge of multiple paths for load balancing while route reflectors handle route propagation.
3Reliability
If multiple egress points are implemented for packet transmission, then network congestion is reduced and load balancing is improved, but the number of routes maintained by network components increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detailed IGP routing information from the BGP route announcement process. Instead of including complete IGP routing tables in BGP announcements, the system extracts only the customer-specific next-hop values in BGP routes and maintains the full IGP routing tables locally at provider edges. This extraction allows multiple egress paths to be available for load balancing while keeping BGP routing table sizes manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for providing multiple egress points from a telecommunications network for a client of the network. In particular, the process and system allows for multiple provider edges of the network to utilize a route reflector server to provide a border gateway protocol (BGP) route to other provider edges in the network. Further, the multiple provider edges may each announce similar interior gateway protocol (IGP) routes through the network such that a provider edge receiving a packet intended for the customer network may select from the multiple IGP routes to provide the intended packet to the customer network. In this manner, the receiving provider edge may load balance among the various connections of the customer network to the telecommunications network.