Local Path Routing for Low-Latency Cloud Application Access

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud applications experience degraded user experience due to network architectures that lack latency-based connectivity, relying on the Internet model, which fails to maintain application performance objectives.

Innovation Solution

Implement a performance-based routing method that dynamically steers traffic over local connections, bypassing the MPLS core, using local path identifiers to ensure lower latency and improved network performance, and integrating local and global routing contexts with BGP paradigms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traffic is routed through the MPLS core using the Internet model, then cloud applications are accessible, but network latency increases and application performance objectives are not met

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication performanceVSAvoidnetwork latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The network routing is segmented into multiple paths: a global path through the MPLS core for general cloud access, and local paths for direct low-latency connections. The system divides traffic routing decisions into global routing (via MPLS) and local routing (direct connections), allowing traffic to be split between these paths based on performance requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A local network interface and local BGP routing instance act as intermediaries between end-user devices and cloud applications. This local intermediary enables direct local routing for latency-sensitive traffic while maintaining the global MPLS routing infrastructure for non-critical traffic, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a global MPLS core routing architecture is used, then cloud provider connectivity is established, but direct local access to cloud applications is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecloud accessibilityVSAvoidconnection speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by creating local network interfaces with local BGP routing instances at each network edge. These local interfaces provide direct local routing paths for cloud applications, while the global MPLS core maintains overall connectivity. The local routing priority is configured to prefer local paths for speed-critical traffic while maintaining global accessibility through the MPLS core.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of time

If local direct connections are implemented, then latency is reduced, but network architecture complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork latencyVSAvoidnetwork architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The local network interface is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a local direct connection point for low-latency routing and as part of the global MPLS core infrastructure. The same interface can handle both local BGP routing for performance-critical traffic and global MPLS routing for general traffic, reducing the need for separate dedicated infrastructure and thereby managing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12470477B2Method and system for routing traffic to a local application interface

Publication Date: 2025.11.11 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, selecting between paths for traffic to be routed between a communication device and an application of a cloud service provider, where the selecting is based on receiving or otherwise obtaining a local path identifier (e.g., announced by a local RIB associated with an intra-metro network over which a local path is connected); and routing the traffic between the communication device and the application of the cloud service provider via the local path responsive to the local path identifier, where the local path bypasses or otherwise avoids an MPLS core, and where a non-local path of the paths is over the MPLS core. Other embodiments are disclosed.