Routing Table Rotation for Unbiased Traffic Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
In packet-based networks, uneven data packet distribution can lead to saturation in some paths, reducing the overall network capacity as routing devices may forward packets to the same next hop device, causing biased traffic and inefficient use of multiple equal cost paths.
Innovation Solution
The method involves rotating entries in the routing tables of peer routing devices to ensure that data packets with the same hash value are forwarded to different next hop devices, maintaining unbiased traffic distribution across multiple paths without requiring changes to the hashing function or additional hashing functions, thereby enabling even distribution of data traffic over equal cost paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If routing devices use hashing functions to distribute data packets across multiple paths, then packet distribution is enabled, but uneven distribution may occur causing path saturation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by rotating routing table entries in a non-uniform manner across different routing devices. Each routing device rotates its routing table by a different amount (e.g., 0, 1, 2, ... positions), creating asymmetric routing decisions that balance the overall traffic distribution. This asymmetric rotation ensures that even though individual devices may have biased routing tables, the collective effect achieves uniform packet distribution across all equal-cost paths, preventing path saturation while maintaining high network capacity.
2Reliability
If routing tables are rotated to distribute traffic evenly, then path saturation is prevented, but routing table management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through the rotation of routing table entries. Routing tables are rotated in a periodic manner where each routing device rotates its table by a predetermined amount based on its identifier or position in the network. This periodic rotation mechanism is simple to implement and maintain, avoiding the complexity of dynamic learning algorithms while achieving load balancing. The rotation can be performed periodically or in advance during routing table installation, providing a straightforward method to manage routing tables without significant operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods for efficiently distributing data packets in a multi-path network having a plurality of equal cost paths each having the same number of hops are provided. In one aspect, a system and method includes reordering the entries in the routing table of one or more peer routing devices, such that succeeding equal cost next hop routing devices that are interconnected in a Clos formation to the peer routing devices received unbiased traffic from each of the peer routing devices, thus enabling the succeeding next hop routing devices to distribute data traffic evenly over additional equal cost multiple hops further into the network.