SR Path Route Selection Using BGP Quality Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current route selection methods in segment routing (SR) networks lack the ability to accurately assess the quality of SR paths, leading to suboptimal route choices that do not meet user expectations due to the absence of quality metrics in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) updates.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating metric information, such as IGP metric, TE metric, delay, or packet loss rate, into BGP update messages to enable the ingress node to perform quality-based route selection among multiple paths, using BGP update messages to convey the quality attributes of SR paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If BGP update messages are used to convey path information without metric information, then the protocol structure remains simple, but route selection cannot accurately assess path quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds metric information (such as IGP metric, TE metric, delay, packet loss rate) within the existing BGP update message structure. This nesting approach allows quality metrics to be conveyed without creating a separate protocol, thus improving path quality assessment while maintaining protocol simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metric information as an intermediary element that mediates between the path information and route selection decisions. By including metrics such as IGP metric, TE metric, delay, and packet loss rate in BGP updates, the system enables accurate path quality assessment without fundamentally changing the BGP protocol architecture.
2Measurement precision
If multiple types of metric information are carried in BGP update messages, then route selection can be more precise, but the message complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different parts of the BGP update message to carry different types of metric information (IGP metric, TE metric, delay, packet loss rate) with different priorities. Route selection nodes can selectively process and prioritize these metrics based on local requirements, achieving precise route selection without uniformly increasing complexity across all nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter set of BGP update messages by adding metric information fields. By extending the message parameters to include multiple types of metrics with configurable priorities, the system enables precise route selection while managing complexity through parameter extension rather than structural redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
This application discloses a route selection method and a related device. A control entity determines first metric information of a first segment routing (SR) path, generates a first border gateway protocol (BGP) update message including the first metric information, and sends the first BGP update message to an ingress node of the first SR path, where the first metric information represents quality of the first SR path, the first metric information is used for route selection on a plurality of paths, each of the plurality of paths has a same IP prefix of a destination node, and the plurality of paths include the first SR path. According to the method, the control entity can send, to the ingress node of the SR path by using the BGP update message, the metric information that represents the quality of the SR path.