Network traffic shaping for low power and lossy networks

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at a Field Area Router (FAR), multicast data packet messages to be forwarded to a Low-Power Lossy Network (LLN), wherein the FAR is a root node for the LLN;
• in response to receiving, interpolating, in the FAR, a LLN routing topology for the received multicast data packet messages;
• and
• in response to interpolating, applying traffic shaping by the FAR for the multicast data packet messages by modeling the time it takes for a data packet message to propagate across a prescribed amount of nodal hops in the LLN prior to the FAR initiating subsequent transmission of multicast data packet messages in the LLN.

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces configured to communicate with a Low Power and Lossy Network (LLN);
• a processor coupled to the interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a Field Area Router process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• receive data packet messages sent from one or more sources intended for transmission toward one or more destination devices in the LLN), wherein the FAR is a root node for the LLN;
• in response to the data packet being received, interpolate LLN routing topology for the data packet messages by at least determining whether a destination device of the data packet message is more than a prescribed number of hops away from the FAR;
• in response to interpolation, determine an expected time for the data packet messages to reach a destination device in the LLN based upon the routing topology interpolation;
• and
• apply traffic shaping for the data packet messages based upon the determined expected time for data packet messages to reach destination devices in the LLN.