# US 11,310,157 B2 · Dynamic segment routing mapping server for a multiprotocol label switching network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,157 B2 - Document ID: US11310157B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/021,703 - Filed: 2020-09-15 - Published: 2020-12-31 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-14 - Assignees: Level 3 Communications, LLC - Applicants: Level 3 Communications, LLC - Inventors: Eric Osborne - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310157B2 ## CPC - H04L 45/74: Address processing for routing - H04L 45/34: {Source routing} - H04L 45/50: using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS] - H04L 45/7453: using hashing - H04L 61/5007: Internet protocol [IP] addresses - H04L 65/104: {in the network} - H04L 65/65: Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP] - H04L 65/80: Responding to QoS - H04L 2101/668: Internet protocol [IP] address subnets - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A dynamic SRMS (DSRMS) in a MPLS network generates unique segment identifiers for nodes of the network lacking segment identifiers (SIDs). The DSRMS receives network information from other nodes of the network that may include, for example, Internal Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing information, advertised prefix values for the nodes, and label values used in MPLS routing. The DSRMS analyzes the information and identifies nodes of the network that are not associated with a SID. For each identified node, the DSRMS generates a unique SID and then announces the SID to other nodes within the network. Generating the unique SID may include executing a hashing function using the IP address of the identified node as an input. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network routing method comprising: receiving a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses at a computing device from a plurality of components of a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, a subset of the plurality of IP addresses being unmapped to a segment identifier (SID) for routing communication packets in the MPLS network; analyzing the subset of the plurality of IP addresses to identify a router identifier (RID) IP address within the subset of the plurality of network IP addresses, the RID IP address corresponding to a node of the MPLS network that may be included in a Label-Switched Path (LSP) of the MPLS network; generating a unique SID for the RID IP address; and announcing, through a signaling protocol, the unique SID and the RID IP address as a matched pair for segment routing in the MPLS network, wherein analyzing the subset of the plurality of IP addresses to identify the RID IP address comprises: comparing a mask length of each of the plurality of IP addresses to a known mask length of RID IP addresses, and the unique SID is generated if the mask length is equal to the known mask length. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the unique SID for the RID IP address comprises executing a hashing function and the RID IP address is an input to the hashing function. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the subset of the plurality of IP addresses to identify the RID IP address further comprises at least one of: comparing each of the plurality of IP addresses to a known range of RID IP addresses, wherein the unique SID is generated if the IP address is within the known range of RID IP addresses, respectively. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the signaling protocol for announcing the unique SID and the RID IP address is an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP). ### Claim 5 A network routing method comprising: receiving, at a computing device communicatively coupled to the telecommunications network, network information including an Internet Protocol (IP) address for a first node of the telecommunications network, wherein the network information further includes a plurality of IP addresses within the telecommunications network including the IP address for the first node; analyzing, using the computing device, the plurality of IP addresses to identify a router identifier (RID) IP address within the plurality of IP addresses, the RID IP address corresponding to a node of the telecommunications network; automatically generating, using the computing device, a unique segment identifier (SID) for the first node when the first node is not otherwise assigned a SID for use in segment routing of packets to the first node from other nodes of the telecommunications network; and announcing, by the computing device and through a signaling protocol, the IP address with the unique SID of the first node to at least one second node of the telecommunications network, wherein analyzing the subset of the plurality of IP addresses to identify the RID IP address comprises: comparing a mask length of each of the plurality of IP addresses to a known mask length of RID IP addresses, and the unique SID is generated if the mask length is equal to the known mask length. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the set of IP addresses comprises, for each IP address of the plurality of IP addresses, determining the IP address of the plurality of IP addresses is within a range known of IP addresses assigned to a RID block. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the set of IP addresses comprises, for each IP address of the plurality of IP addresses, at least one of determining the IP address of the plurality of IP addresses is associated with an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) Type Length Value (TLV) or determining the IP address is associated with a device that supports a specific routing protocol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein automatically generating the unique SID for the first node comprises executing a hashing function using the IP address of the first node as an input to the hashing function. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the signaling protocol for announcing the IP address of the first node with the unique SID of the first node is Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP). ### Claim 10 A system for facilitating routing within a telecommunications network, the system comprising: a computing device communicatively couplable to the telecommunications network, the computing device configured to: receiving network information including an Internet Protocol (IP) address for a first node of the telecommunications network, wherein the network information further includes a plurality of IP addresses within the telecommunications network including the IP address for the first node; analyze the plurality of IP addresses to identify a router identifier (RID) IP address within the plurality of IP addresses, the RID IP address corresponding to a node of the telecommunications network; generate a unique segment identifier (SID) for the first node based on the network information; and announce, through a signaling protocol, the IP address with the unique SID of the first node to at least one second node of the telecommunications network, wherein analyzing the subset of the plurality of IP addresses to identify the RID IP address comprises: comparing a mask length of each of the plurality of IP addresses to a known mask length of RID IP addresses, and the unique SID is generated if the mask length is equal to the known mask length. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is configured to identify the set of IP addresses by, for each IP address of the plurality of IP addresses, determining the IP address of the plurality of IP addresses is within a range known of IP addresses assigned to a RID block. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is configured to identify the set of IP addresses by, for each IP address of the plurality of IP addresses, at least one of determining the IP address of the plurality of IP addresses has a particular Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) Type Length Value (TLV) or determining the IP address is associated with a device that supports a specific routing protocol. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is configure to generate the unique SID for the first node by executing a hashing function using the IP address of the first node as an input to the hashing function. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the signaling protocol by which the computing device announces the IP address of the first node with the unique SID of the first node is Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP). ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is a first computing device, and the system further comprises at least one second computing device communicatively coupleable to the telecommunications network, the at least one second computing device configured to: generate the unique SID for the first node based on the network information; and announce the IP address with the unique SID of the first node to the at least one second node of the telecommunications network.