BGP Route Recorder Passive Message Timestamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software tools like Zebra and Mrtd, designed for full BGP routing functionality, interfere with route measurements due to added processing, fail to scale well, and tear down peering sessions upon errors, introducing noise and errors in recorded BGP traffic.
Innovation Solution
A Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Route Recorder (BRR) that passively records and timestamps all incoming and outgoing BGP messages, preserving peering sessions across errors and avoiding the sending of notification messages, allowing for configurable error handling and reduced system load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If full BGP routing functionality tools (Zebra, Quagga, Mrtd) are used to record routing updates, then routing measurement capability is provided, but device complexity and processing overhead increase, causing poor scalability and interference with normal BGP operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential BGP message recording function from full-featured BGP routing tools. The BRR implements a minimalistic design that passively records BGP messages without implementing complete BGP routing logic, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The BRR creates a simplified copy of BGP functionality focused solely on message recording. Instead of implementing the complete BGP routing suite, it captures and stores BGP messages with timestamps, providing a lightweight alternative that scales better than full-featured tools
2Adaptability or versatility
If BGP tools implement full routing functionality, then comprehensive BGP processing is achieved, but they tear down peering sessions upon errors, introducing noise and errors in recorded BGP traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The BRR extracts only the message recording aspect from BGP processing, deliberately excluding error-handling logic that would terminate peering sessions. This allows it to passively observe BGP traffic without interfering with session stability
Solution Approach 2:
The BRR acts as an intermediary that passively observes BGP traffic without actively participating in BGP decision-making or error handling. It records messages without interpreting them, thereby avoiding the need to make routing decisions that could destabilize peering sessions
3Measurement precision
If passive recording of BGP messages is implemented, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the ability to handle errors and maintain peering sessions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The BRR creates a faithful copy of BGP message traffic with precise timestamps for measurement purposes. While it doesn't actively handle errors like full BGP implementations, it accurately records error messages as they occur, providing measurement data without interfering with session maintenance
Data Source
AI summary
BGP Route Recorder (BRR) captures and dumps Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) messages received from BGP peers. Passive links are established between the BRR and BGP peers. All incoming and outgoing BGP messages are recorded and timestamped. Rather than tear down BGP peering sessions when errors are encountered, error conditions are recorded, and the BRR may be configured to maintain links across selected BGP errors.