Signaling IP path tunnels for traffic engineering

A network device of an Internet Protocol (IP) network comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
• send a path signaling message of a resource reservation protocol toward an egress network device of the IP network to establish an IP path in the IP network, wherein the path signaling message includes path identification information associated with the IP path that causes a plurality of network devices of the IP network to steer traffic on the IP path, wherein the path identification information comprises an Explicit Route Object that specifies one or more transit network devices of the plurality of network devices for the IP path, and one or more traffic characteristics of the IP path;
• receive a path reservation signaling message of the resource reservation protocol including an IP address of the egress network device;
• and
• configure, in response to receiving the path reservation signaling message, forwarding information of the network device to forward, without using Multi-Protocol Label Switching, a packet encapsulated with the IP address of the egress network device on the IP path toward the egress network device.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by an egress network device of a plurality of network devices of an Internet Protocol (IP) network, a path signaling message to establish an IP path from an ingress network device of the IP network to the egress network device, wherein the path signaling message includes path information associated with the IP path that causes one or more transit network devices of the plurality of network devices to establish the IP path, wherein the path identification information comprises an Explicit Route Object that specifies one or more transit network devices of the plurality of network devices for the IP path, and one or more traffic characteristics of the IP path;
• generating, by the egress network device, a path reservation signaling message including an IP address of the egress network device selected from a set of IP addresses and assigned to the IP path;
• and
• sending, by the egress network device, the path reservation signaling message and to the one or more of the transit network devices to cause each of the one or more transit network devices and the ingress network device to configure a forwarding state to forward, without using Multi-Protocol Label Switching, a packet encapsulated with the IP address of the egress network device on the IP path toward the egress network device.