Weighted Multi-Path Routing via Segmented Tables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing techniques face challenges in managing large routing tables and efficiently routing packets in complex, high-speed data networks, leading to increased overhead and performance issues as network size and complexity grow.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a router device with multiple routing engines and tables, each dedicated to a specific port group, allowing for weighted multi-path routing by distributing routing information and traffic across multiple network paths, reducing the overhead of managing large routing tables and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ECMP routing techniques are used to route packets through multiple equal-cost paths, then routing capability is provided, but the number of routing table entries grows exponentially with network complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the routing system into multiple routing engines, where each routing engine is dedicated to a specific port group. Each routing engine maintains its own routing table with entries only for its assigned port group, rather than a single large routing table containing all paths. This segmentation reduces the number of entries each routing engine must search and manage, addressing the exponential growth problem while maintaining comprehensive routing capability across the network.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large routing table is used to support complex network paths, then routing coverage is improved, but the overhead of managing and searching the routing table increases
Solution Approach 1:
The routing table is segmented into multiple smaller routing tables, each maintained by a dedicated routing engine for a specific port group. This reduces the search space for each routing operation from the entire network's worth of paths to only the subset of paths relevant to that port group, significantly reducing search time and management overhead while maintaining complete routing coverage through the collective effort of all routing engines.
Solution Approach 2:
Routing tables are pre-configured and populated with routing entries specific to each port group before routing operations begin. This preliminary organization of routing information by port group allows routing engines to quickly access relevant paths without searching through unrelated entries, reducing real-time routing decision latency.
3Reliability
If multiple routing paths are supported, then network redundancy is improved, but the overhead of managing routing information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management overhead is segmented across multiple routing engines, each responsible for a specific port group. This distribution of management responsibilities reduces the complexity burden on any single routing engine, as each only needs to manage routing information for its assigned port group rather than all routing information in the network. The collective system maintains full redundancy while individual components operate with reduced complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each routing engine independently manages its own routing table for its assigned port group, performing self-service routing management without requiring centralized control or coordination for routing decisions. This autonomous operation reduces management overhead by eliminating the need for complex inter-engine coordination while maintaining network redundancy through the distributed architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for multi-path routing of packets to a destination node based on multiple routing tables of a router device. In an embodiment, a router device includes port groups which each correspond to a different respective network path to the same destination node. In another embodiment, each routing engine of multiple routing engines in a router device routes packets to the destination node based on a different respective one of multiple routing tables. The routing tables may include respective entry sets which, at least with respect to routing packets to the destination node, dedicate each routing engine to a respective one of the port groups.