Router Routing Control Method for Minimizing Switching Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing routing control methods experience lengthy communication interruptions and packet loss when a router fails, as they require significant time to switch from a default router to a backup router, especially in cases of external network overload or weakened signal strength, and often cannot be used in wireless networks with MAC layer authentication due to shared MAC address issues.
Innovation Solution
A routing control method that proactively multicasts a routing stop message when a router's functionality is predicted to fail, allowing other routers to take over quickly by sending a routing capability message, thereby preventing interruptions and packet loss, and storing packets until a capable router is available to transfer them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the router waits for automatic detection of communication failure before switching to backup router, then the system maintains simplicity in router operation, but communication interruption time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The master router proactively sends a routing stop message before actual communication failure occurs, when it predicts that failure will happen due to external network overload or weakened electric field strength. This preliminary action allows the backup router to prepare and switch over immediately, eliminating the need for terminals to detect and respond to communication failures, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and time loss.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the router uses shared MAC address for backup router takeover, then the switchover mechanism is simplified, but compatibility with wireless networks using MAC layer authentication is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the routing control function from the MAC address identity. Each router maintains its own unique MAC address, but the backup router is configured with the master router's IP address as the default router address. This segmentation allows the backup router to take over routing functions without requiring MAC address sharing, thus maintaining compatibility with wireless networks that use MAC layer authentication while simplifying the switchover mechanism.
3Reliability
If the terminal continuously monitors communication status to detect router failure, then the system maintains simplicity in router operation, but the time to recognize communication impossibility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The master router acts as an intermediary that proactively notifies terminals of its impending failure through a routing stop message. Instead of terminals continuously monitoring and detecting router failure (which takes time), the master router directly communicates the failure prediction to terminals, enabling immediate switchover to the backup router. This eliminates the detection time delay while maintaining simple router operation.
Data Source
AI summary
When the routing function of router becomes disabled, a routing stop message is multicast to all terminals and another router in a LAN. If another router can provide the routing function, a routing start message is multicast to all terminals and the other router in the LAN. This method allows the terminals in the LAN to switch the default router at a predetermined timing according to both messages, thus minimizing the default router switching delay time and the packet loss.