BGP Update Message SET_ID Attribute Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for sending and receiving BGP update messages, especially with BGPSEC, are resource-intensive due to the need for duplicating path attributes and extensive validation, leading to inefficient use of control plane bandwidth and computational resources.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a Set Identifier (SET_ID) attribute in BGP update messages to group common path attributes into sets, allowing subsequent messages to reference these sets instead of duplicating them, thereby optimizing processing and reducing bandwidth usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If path attributes are duplicated in each BGP update message, then complete routing information is transmitted, but control plane bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments path attributes into two categories: common path attributes (shared across multiple routes) and specific path attributes (unique to each route). By separating these attributes, the common ones can be referenced once while being applied to multiple routes, reducing redundant transmission of identical data while maintaining complete routing information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing by identifying and extracting common path attributes before generating BGP update messages. These common attributes are processed once and stored for reference, allowing subsequent messages to reference them rather than duplicating them, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption while ensuring information completeness.
2Reliability
If cryptographic validation is performed on each BGPSEC update message, then path security is ensured, but computational resources are excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the validation process by distinguishing between common path attributes (validated once) and specific path attributes (validated per message). This segmentation allows cryptographic validation to be performed only on the specific attributes that differ between messages, rather than re-validating identical common attributes repeatedly, thus reducing computational overhead while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary cryptographic validation on common path attributes once they are established. The validation results are then cached and reused for subsequent messages that reference these common attributes, eliminating redundant computational work while ensuring that security requirements are met for all routes.
3Measurement precision
If common path attributes are processed for each IP address prefix, then accurate routing decisions are made, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing workload by separating common path attributes from specific path attributes. Common attributes are processed once and their results are reused across multiple IP address prefixes, while only the specific attributes require individual processing. This segmentation maintains routing decision accuracy by ensuring all necessary attributes are considered, while dramatically reducing total processing time by eliminating redundant operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing of common path attributes before they are needed for routing decisions. The results of this preliminary processing are stored and reused when making routing decisions for multiple prefixes, ensuring accuracy is maintained while processing time is reduced by avoiding repeated processing of identical data.
Data Source
AI summary
Present disclosure relates to methods for preparing BGP update messages for transmission and processing received update messages. The methods are based on grouping path attributes common to a plurality of IP address prefixes into respective sets identified with respective set identifiers and, instead of duplicating path attributes in each BGP update message, including a respective identifier referring to a certain set of path attributes provided in an earlier BGP update message when sending subsequent update messages. Grouping of path attributes into individual sets associated with respective identifiers provides significant advantages by enabling re-use of the results of previous processing on both the sending and receiving sides associated with transmission of BGP update messages. In addition, such an approach limits the amount of information transmitted in the control plane because duplicate sets of path attributes may only be transmitted once and merely be referred to in subsequent update messages.