Routing Entry Suppression for Shorter-Mask Route Selection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current routing methods often select non-optimal routes based on the longest mask, failing to consider more efficient routes with shorter masks.

Innovation Solution

A routing control method that suppresses routes corresponding to long masks by setting the state of secondary routing entries to a non-delivery state, ensuring that only routes corresponding to short masks are selected for packet forwarding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the forwarding device selects a route based on the longest mask rule, then the route selection is simple and deterministic, but the selected route may not be optimal in terms of cost and transmission quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute selection simplicityVSAvoidroute optimality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the routing parameter from strictly following longest mask to using a suppressible state mechanism. Routing entries can be marked with a suppressible state that prevents them from being installed in the forwarding table, allowing the system to deviate from longest mask when optimal routes with shorter masks exist

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic state management for routing entries. The suppressible state can be set or cleared based on route optimization needs, allowing the routing system to adapt between longest mask compliance and optimal route selection depending on the specific routing scenario

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the forwarding device always installs all matching routing entries in the forwarding table, then all routes are available for selection, but memory consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute availabilityVSAvoidmemory consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts unnecessary routing entries from the forwarding table by introducing a suppressible state. Routes that are not optimal (such as longer masks when a shorter mask route is preferred) are marked for suppression and excluded from the forwarding table, reducing memory usage while maintaining availability of optimal routes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of installing all matching routes or none, the patent applies partial installation by selectively suppressing specific routes based on optimization criteria. This allows the system to install only the necessary optimal routes in the forwarding table rather than all possible routes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4199463B1Routing control method, network device, and controller
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4199463B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4199463B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4199463B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a routing control method, a network device, and a controller. The network device has a first routing entry and a second routing entry, an address prefix of the first routing entry is a first address prefix, an address prefix of the second routing entry is a second address prefix, a network segment to which the second address prefix belongs is a subset of a network segment to which the first address prefix belongs, and a mask in the second address prefix is greater than a mask in the first address prefix. The method includes: obtaining, by a control module of the network device, a route suppression request; determining the second routing entry; and setting a state of the second routing entry to a non-delivery state that is used to indicate that the second routing entry does not need to be delivered to a forwarding table. It can be learned that, in the embodiments of the present invention, a route corresponding to a short mask is selected by suppressing a route corresponding to a long mask.