BGP Route Attribute Updates Through Distributed Route Policies

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Solution Overview

Problem

The inefficiency of manually updating route attributes in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes due to traffic bursts or link faults, leading to high operation and maintenance costs.

Innovation Solution

A method for automatic route attribute update in BGP routes using a route policy distribution mechanism, where network devices receive messages with match conditions and action fields to update attributes such as community, extended community, next-hop address, local preference, and accumulative IGP metric values, reducing the need for manual configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual configuration is used to update route attributes, then flexibility in adjusting traffic forwarding paths is achieved, but update efficiency is low and operation and maintenance costs are high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute attribute update efficiencyVSAvoidmanual configuration requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-configures route policies with match conditions and action fields in advance. When traffic bursts or link faults occur, the pre-configured policies are automatically activated without requiring manual intervention, thus improving update efficiency while maintaining operational flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The network device automatically detects route policy matches and executes attribute updates based on pre-configured policies. The system serves itself by autonomously adjusting route attributes in response to network conditions, eliminating the need for manual configuration and significantly improving update efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If automatic route attribute update is implemented, then update efficiency is improved and operation and maintenance costs are reduced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute attribute update efficiencyVSAvoidroute policy processing mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The route policy is segmented into distinct components: match condition fields that identify routing scenarios and action fields that specify attribute modifications. This segmentation allows the system to process only relevant policies when events occur, reducing computational complexity while maintaining automatic update capabilities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the state of route attributes (such as local preference, next-hop address, community attributes) based on matched policies. By parameterizing the update mechanism through structured policy definitions, the system achieves automation without proportionally increasing complexity, as the same framework handles diverse update scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4092977B1Route attribute update method, network device and system
Publication Date: 2025.07.23 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4092977B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4092977B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4092977B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

This application provides a route attribute update method, a network device, and a system, and belongs to the field of data communication. In the solution provided in this application, a second network device may deliver a message used for RPD to a first network device. The message includes a route policy, and the route policy includes a match condition field and an action field. When detecting that route information of a BGP route matches a target feature carried in the match condition field, the first network device may automatically update a route attribute of the BGP route based on a route attribute carried in the action field. The first network device may automatically update the route attribute of the BGP route according to the route policy included in the message delivered by the second network device, and operation and maintenance personnel does not need to perform manual configuration. Therefore, route attribute update efficiency is greatly improved, and operation and maintenance costs of a data communication system are reduced.