# US 10,122,637 B2 · Advertising network layer reachability information specifying a quality of service for an identified network flow > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,637 B2 - Document ID: US10122637B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/799,630 - Filed: 2017-10-31 - Published: 2018-02-22 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-06 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Penn L. Pfautz; Huajin Jeng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122637B2 ## CPC - H04L 47/24: Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS - H04L 47/2433: {Allocation of priorities to traffic types} - H04L 47/2441: relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ] - H04L 47/2483: involving identification of individual flows - H04L 47/6215: {Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for advertising network layer reachability information specifying a quality of service for a network flow are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include advertising a first flow specification and a first quality of service for a first network flow to be received by a first network element, and constructing a packet filter for a second network flow based on a second flow specification and a second quality of service advertised by a second network element that is to receive the second network flow. Disclosed example methods also include adjusting, based on the packet filter, bits of an incoming packet determined to belong to the second network flow to determine an updated incoming packet, and assigning the updated incoming packet to a routing queue corresponding to the second quality of service to cause the updated incoming packet to be routed towards the second network element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first network element comprising: memory including computer readable instructions; and a processor to execute the computer readable instructions to perform operations including: advertising a first flow specification and a first quality of service for a first network flow to be received by the first network element; constructing a packet filter for a second network flow, the packet filter constructed based on a second flow specification and a second quality of service advertised by a second network element that is to receive the second network flow; adjusting, based on the packet filter, bits of an incoming packet determined to belong to the second network flow to determine an updated incoming packet, the bits of the incoming packet being adjusted from a first value representing the second quality of service in a first network from which the incoming packet was received to a different, second value representing the same second quality of service in a second network in which the updated incoming packet is to be routed; and assigning the updated incoming packet to a routing queue corresponding to the second quality of service to cause the updated incoming packet to be routed towards the second network element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The first network element of claim 1, wherein the first quality of service for the first network flow is specified in signaling received from a network management system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The first network element of claim 1, wherein the advertising of the first flow specification and the first quality of service for the first network flow includes: determining a network prefix that is reachable by the first network element and that is to receive the first network flow; determining a protocol type of the first network flow; determining the first quality of service for the first network flow; and sending a border gateway protocol update message specifying the network prefix, the protocol type and the first quality of service. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The first network element of claim 3, wherein the first network element corresponds to a provider edge router, and the network prefix is associated with a network border element that is reachable from the provider edge router. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The first network element of claim 4, wherein the first quality of service for the first network flow is specified in a configuration procedure performed when the network border element is homed to the provider edge router. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The first network element of claim 3, wherein the border gateway protocol update message is a first border gateway protocol update message, and the operations further include receiving a second border gateway protocol update message specifying the second flow specification and the second quality of service. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The first network element of claim 1, wherein the operations further include receiving the incoming packet from a third network element, the third network element belongs to the first network, and the first network element belongs to the second network. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a first network element to perform operations comprising: advertising a first flow specification and a first quality of service for a first network flow to be received by the first network element; constructing a packet filter for a second network flow, the packet filter constructed based on a second flow specification and a second quality of service advertised by a second network element that is to receive the second network flow; adjusting, based on the packet filter, bits of an incoming packet determined to belong to the second network flow to determine an updated incoming packet, the bits of the incoming packet being adjusted from a first value representing the second quality of service in a first network from which the incoming packet was received to a different, second value representing the same second quality of service in a second network in which the updated incoming packet is to be routed; and assigning the updated incoming packet to a routing queue corresponding to the second quality of service to cause the updated incoming packet to be routed towards the second network element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first quality of service for the first network flow is specified in signaling received from a network management system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the advertising of the first flow specification and the first quality of service for the first network flow includes: determining a network prefix that is reachable by the first network element and that is to receive the first network flow; determining a protocol type of the first network flow; determining the first quality of service for the first network flow; and sending a border gateway protocol update message specifying the network prefix, the protocol type and the first quality of service. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first network element corresponds to a provider edge router, and the network prefix is associated with a network border element that is reachable from the provider edge router. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first quality of service for the first network flow is specified in a configuration procedure performed when the network border element is homed to the provider edge router. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the border gateway protocol update message is a first border gateway protocol update message, and the operations further include receiving a second border gateway protocol update message specifying the second flow specification and the second quality of service. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further include receiving the incoming packet from a third network element, the third network element belongs to the first network, and the first network element belongs to the second network. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: advertising, by executing an instruction with a processor of a first network element, a first flow specification and a first quality of service for a first network flow to be received by the first network element; constructing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a packet filter for a second network flow, the packet filter constructed based on a second flow specification and a second quality of service advertised by a second network element that is to receive the second network flow; adjusting, by executing an instruction with the processor and based on the packet filter, bits of an incoming packet determined to belong to the second network flow to determine an updated incoming packet, the bits of the incoming packet being adjusted from a first value representing the second quality of service in a first network from which the incoming packet was received to a different, second value representing the same second quality of service in a second network in which the updated incoming packet is to be routed; and assigning, by executing an instruction with the processor, the updated incoming packet to a routing queue corresponding to the second quality of service to cause the updated incoming packet to be routed towards the second network element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first quality of service for the first network flow is specified in signaling received from a network management system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the advertising of the first flow specification and the first quality of service for the first network flow includes: determining a network prefix that is reachable by the first network element and that is to receive the first network flow; determining a protocol type of the first network flow; determining the first quality of service for the first network flow; and sending a border gateway protocol update message specifying the network prefix, the protocol type and the first quality of service. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the first network element corresponds to a provider edge router, and the network prefix is associated with a network border element that is reachable from the provider edge router, and the first quality of service for the first network flow is specified in a configuration procedure performed when the network border element is homed to the provider edge router. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the border gateway protocol update message is a first border gateway protocol update message, and further including receiving a second border gateway protocol update message specifying the second flow specification and the second quality of service. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further including receiving the incoming packet from a third network element, wherein the third network element belongs to the first network, and the the first network element belongs to the second network.