Mesh Network Path Selection with Segmented Node-Link Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for computing guaranteed Fast Reroute (FRR) protected paths in MPLS networks fail to effectively ensure full node or node-link protection, leading to potential network failures and service disruptions, especially in mesh communication networks where the primary path may not have available backup LSPs for all segments.
Innovation Solution
A method for selecting a protected communication path in a mesh network that ensures full node or node-link protection by defining specific path segments with backup paths, using fictitious intra-node links to transform the network topology and apply path computation algorithms like Dijkstra or Constrained Dijkstra to find the optimal path that meets user requirements and topology constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional path computation methods are used to find backup LSPs, then the network topology can be processed, but full node or node-link protection cannot be guaranteed because primary paths may not have available backup LSPs for all segments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network path into discrete path segments (link segments and node segments), where each segment is independently evaluated for backup availability. This segmentation allows systematic checking of each segment's protection status and enables the construction of fully protected paths by selecting segments that have available backups, thereby achieving reliable full node or node-link protection while managing computational complexity through structured processing.
2Reliability
If backup LSPs are preconfigured for all possible failures, then network reliability is improved, but the network resources and computational overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by preconfiguring backup LSPs for specific path segments before failures occur. The system identifies segments with available backup LSPs during path computation and pre-establishes these backups, enabling rapid reroute operation when failures happen. This approach ensures fast reroute protection is ready without requiring exhaustive preconfiguration of all possible failure scenarios, thus balancing reliability improvement with network resource consumption.
3Manufacturing precision
If the path computation algorithm considers all possible paths, then the optimal protected path can be found, but the computation time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by evaluating path segments individually for their protection characteristics rather than analyzing all possible paths globally. Each segment is assessed for backup availability and protection status independently, allowing the algorithm to make localized decisions about which segments to include in the final path. This approach maintains optimal path selection accuracy by considering protection quality at each segment level while significantly reducing computation time compared to exhaustive global analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of finding a primary communication path in a mesh network, which would be at once a protected path having a fully guaranteed segmented node or node-link protection. The method comprises defining a required protection type and further selecting each specific path segment of the desired communication path based on initial user's requirements and topology information of the network. Each specific node path segment N for the communication path is selected upon ensuring that it can be protected in the network by a node backup path satisfying the initial user's requirements. Each specific link path segment L for the communication path is chosen if it can be protected in the network by a link backup path satisfying the initial user's requirements and if the node path segment N to which segment L leads cannot be protected by a suitable node backup path.