BIER-TE Forwarding Table Index Advertisement With Compact Encoding

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The complexity of node processing and network deployment is increased due to the large scale of messages advertised in Bit Indexed Explicit Replication-Traffic Engineering (BIER-TE) forwarding tables, especially in networks with a large number of nodes and links, exceeding the processing capacity of some nodes.

Innovation Solution

A method for advertising a BIER-TE forwarding table index using a preset encoding mode and specific protocols to reduce the scale of messages, including encoding the index with a sub-TLV or top-level TLV, and suppressing flooding functions to minimize message advertisement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If BIER-TE technology advertises link information through internal protocol to form forwarding table, then multicast traffic can be forwarded along predetermined path, but the number of advertised messages increases as the number of interfaces and nodes increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulticast traffic forwarding capabilityVSAvoidnumber of advertised messages
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the forwarding table information by introducing a forwarding table index that divides the complete forwarding table into manageable parts. Instead of advertising the entire forwarding table, only the index is advertised, which segments the information into a compact identifier and the actual table data stored locally at each node.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The forwarding table index acts as an intermediary between the routing protocol and the actual forwarding table. This index serves as a reference that points to the complete forwarding table stored locally, eliminating the need to advertise the entire table while maintaining access to the full information when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the number of nodes and links in the network is large, then network capacity and connectivity are improved, but the scale of advertised messages becomes large increasing node processing complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork capacityVSAvoidnode processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential identifying information (forwarding table index) from the complete forwarding table and advertises this extracted information instead of the full table. This extraction reduces the advertisement size to a manageable level while the complete table remains stored locally at each node for when it is actually needed for forwarding decisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If complete forwarding table information is advertised to ensure accurate traffic forwarding, then forwarding accuracy is maintained, but message scale increases exceeding processing capacity of some nodes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforwarding accuracyVSAvoidmessage scale
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of copying and advertising the complete forwarding table to all nodes, the patent creates a copy of the forwarding table index that can be efficiently transmitted and stored. Each node maintains a local copy of the complete forwarding table but only exchanges the compact index information through advertisements, reducing communication overhead while maintaining access to full table data locally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4607889A1Method for notifying forwarding table index, node, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 ZTE CORP
  • EP4607889A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4607889A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4607889A1 patent drawingFigure 6~9

AI summary

A method for advertising a forwarding table index, a node, and a storage medium are provided. The method for advertising the forwarding table index includes: determining, according to first information, a specified path-based bit indexed explicit replication-traffic engineering, BIER-TE, forwarding table index of a current node, where the first information includes a sub-domain, SD, and a bit string length, BSL; and advertising the BIER-TE forwarding table index of the current node to another node, where the BIER-TE forwarding table index of the current node is encoded in a preset encoding mode.