Source-Routed Packet Headers for Flow-Specific Fast Rerouting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication networks face challenges in efficiently supporting flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets, particularly in handling failures and maintaining quality of service requirements.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a header encoding both a primary path and a protection path for source routed packets, using protocols like MPLS and IP, with mechanisms for fast rerouting and control plane information exchange to ensure seamless packet forwarding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If protection paths are pre-configured and encoded in packet headers for fast rerouting, then rerouting speed and service reliability are improved, but device complexity and information loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures protection paths and encodes them in packet headers before failures occur. This preliminary action enables immediate rerouting when failures happen, improving service reliability without requiring complex real-time computation at transit nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the routing information into primary path and protection path components, each encoded separately in the packet header. This segmentation allows the network to independently manage and switch between paths, simplifying the rerouting logic at transit nodes.
2Speed
If protection path information is encoded in packet headers, then rerouting speed is improved, but header size and information loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential protection path information needed for fast rerouting and places it in the packet header. By taking out only the critical elements (protection path identifiers and skip counts) rather than full routing details, the header remains manageable while enabling rapid rerouting decisions.
3Productivity
If source routing protocols are used with encoded paths, then routing control and productivity are improved, but adaptability to dynamic failures worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes and encodes multiple protection paths in the packet header before transmission. When failures occur during transmission, the packet can immediately switch to pre-prepared protection paths without requiring real-time rerouting computation, thus maintaining high routing efficiency while adapting to dynamic failures.
Data Source
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AI summary
Various example embodiments relate generally to supporting flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets in communication networks. Various example embodiments for supporting flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets may be configured to support flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets based on use of various source routing protocols which may be based on various underlying communication protocols. Various example embodiments for supporting flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets in communication networks may be configured to support flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets by supporting use of a source routed packet including a payload and a header where the header encodes a set of hops of a primary path for the source routed packet and where the header also encodes a set of hops of a protection path configured to protect one of the hops of the primary path for the source routed packet.