# US 12,192,090 B2 · Pairing disaggregated network elements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,090 B2 - Document ID: US12192090B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/497,426 - Filed: 2021-10-08 - Published: 2023-04-13 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-08 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Indermeet Singh Gandhi; Shailender Potharaju - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192090B2 ## CPC - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques are described herein for pairing disaggregated network elements. In one example, a pairing manager obtains an indication to prioritize high availability when pairing disaggregated network elements. The disaggregated network elements include first disaggregated network elements and second disaggregated network elements. The pairing manager obtains, from one or more of the disaggregated network elements, topology information of the disaggregated network elements. Based on the topology information and the indication to prioritize high availability, the pairing manager pairs topologically-adjacent ones of the first disaggregated network elements with different ones of the second disaggregated network elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: obtaining an indication to prioritize high availability when pairing disaggregated network elements, wherein the disaggregated network elements include first disaggregated network elements and second disaggregated network elements; obtaining, from one or more of the disaggregated network elements, topology information of the disaggregated network elements, wherein at least one of the first disaggregated network elements is to obtain the topology information from the second disaggregated network elements using addresses of the second disaggregated network elements; and based on the topology information and the indication to prioritize high availability, pairing topologically-adjacent ones of the first disaggregated network elements with different ones of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more addresses include respective unicast addresses of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more addresses include a multicast address of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining an indication to prioritize low latency when re-pairing the disaggregated network elements; obtaining, from at least one of the disaggregated network elements, latency information of the disaggregated network elements; and based on the latency information and the indication to prioritize low latency, re-pairing each of the first disaggregated network elements with a corresponding one of the second disaggregated network elements over a link having a lowest available latency. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first disaggregated network elements include radio units and the second disaggregated network elements include distributed units. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the disaggregated network elements further include centralized units. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first disaggregated network elements include distributed units and the second disaggregated network elements include centralized units. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the disaggregated network elements further include radio units. ### Claim 9 An apparatus comprising: a network interface configured to obtain or provide network communications; and one or more processors coupled to the network interface, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: obtain an indication to prioritize high availability when pairing disaggregated network elements, wherein the disaggregated network elements include first disaggregated network elements and second disaggregated network elements; obtain, from one or more of the disaggregated network elements, topology information of the disaggregated network elements, wherein at least one of the first disaggregated network elements is to obtain the topology information from the second disaggregated network elements using addresses of the second disaggregated network elements; and based on the topology information and the indication to prioritize high availability, pair topologically-adjacent ones of the first disaggregated network elements with different ones of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more addresses include respective unicast addresses of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more addresses include a multicast address of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: obtain an indication to prioritize low latency when re-pairing the disaggregated network elements; obtain, from at least one of the disaggregated network elements, latency information of the disaggregated network elements; and based on the latency information and the indication to prioritize low latency, re-pair each of the first disaggregated network elements with a corresponding one of the second disaggregated network elements over a link having a lowest available latency. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first disaggregated network elements include radio units and the second disaggregated network elements include distributed units, or the first disaggregated network elements include the distributed units and the second disaggregated network elements include centralized units. ### Claim 14 One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain an indication to prioritize high availability when pairing disaggregated network elements, wherein the disaggregated network elements include first disaggregated network elements and second disaggregated network elements; obtain, from one or more of the disaggregated network elements, topology information of the disaggregated network elements, wherein at least one of the first disaggregated network elements is to obtain the topology information from the second disaggregated network elements using addresses of the second disaggregated network elements; and based on the topology information and the indication to prioritize high availability, pair topologically-adjacent ones of the first disaggregated network elements with different ones of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the one or more addresses include respective unicast addresses of the second disaggregated network elements or a multicast address of the second disaggregated network elements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: obtain an indication to prioritize low latency when re-pairing the disaggregated network elements; obtain, from at least one of the disaggregated network elements, latency information of the disaggregated network elements; and based on the latency information and the indication to prioritize low latency, re-pair each of the first disaggregated network elements with a corresponding one of the second disaggregated network elements over a link having a lowest available latency. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the first disaggregated network elements include radio units and the second disaggregated network elements include distributed units, or the first disaggregated network elements include the distributed units and the second disaggregated network elements include centralized units. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: notifying the first disaggregated network to which second disaggregated network elements the first disaggregated network elements are paired; and notifying the second disaggregated network to which first disaggregated network elements the second disaggregated network elements are paired. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: notify the first disaggregated network elements to which second disaggregated network elements the first disaggregated network elements are paired; and notify the second disaggregated network elements to which first disaggregated network elements the second disaggregated network elements are paired. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: notify the first disaggregated network elements to which second disaggregated network elements the first disaggregated network elements are paired; and notify the second disaggregated network elements to which first disaggregated network elements the second disaggregated network elements are paired.