Resilient network communication using selective multipath packet flow spraying

A method comprising:

• identifying, by a destination device on a network and from among a plurality of paths between the destination device and a plurality of core switches, failed destination paths between the destination device and the plurality of core switches on the network;
• receive, by the destination device, a request message from a source device on the network;
• responsive to the request message, sending, by the destination device and to the source device, a grant message that includes health information about each of the paths between the destination device and the plurality of core switches, wherein the health information identifies the identified failed destination paths;
• and
• spraying packets of a data flow, by the source device and based on the grant message, over a plurality of data paths from the source device to the destination device and across the core switches, wherein none of the plurality of data paths includes any of the failed destination paths.

A destination network device comprising memory and processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry has access to the memory and is configured to:

• identify, from among a plurality of paths between the destination network device and a plurality of core switches, failed destination paths between the destination network device and a plurality of core switches;
• receive a request message from a source device;
• responsive to the request message, send a grant message to the source device that includes health information about each of the paths between the destination network device and the plurality of core switches, wherein the health information identifies the identified failed destination paths;
• and
• enable the source device to spray packets of a data flow, over a plurality of selected data paths across the core switches, from the source device to the destination network device,
• wherein the plurality of selected data paths are chosen, based on the grant message, so that none of the plurality of selected data paths includes any of the failed destination paths.