Controlling traffic on links between autonomous systems

In a first autonomous system having multiple links to different autonomous systems via one or more border routers of said first autonomous system wherein said one or more border routers implement Border Gateway Protocol, a method of controlling traffic distribution across said multiple links comprising:

• logically dividing one or more networks within said first autonomous system into two or more blocks of IP addresses;
• determining incoming traffic usage of any of:
• each of said blocks of IP addresses over a predetermined interval or for a group of said blocks as a whole over a predetermined interval;
• dynamically determining an optimal incoming traffic link for each of said blocks of IP addresses based upon any of:
• load of each of said multiple links over a predetermined interval, congestion of each of said multiple links over a predetermined interval capacity of each of said multiple links, usage price of the link or incoming traffic usage of the corresponding block of IP addresses over a predetermined interval, and for each block of IP addresses, announcing said block of IP addresses in a manner causing incoming traffic to be biased towards said optimal incoming traffic link.

A system for dynamically controlling traffic distribution across links between one or more border routers of a first autonomous system and peer border routers of different autonomous systems, said system comprising:

• at least one congestion control unit connected to said one or more border routers;
• said congestion control unit logically dividing one or more networks within said first autonomous system into two or more blocks of network layer protocol addresses;
• said congestion control unit determining incoming traffic usage of any of:
• each of said blocks of IP addresses over a predetermined interval or for a group of said blocks as a whole over a predetermined interval;
• said congestion control unit dynamically determining an optimal incoming traffic link for each of said blocks of network layer protocol based upon any of:
• load of each of said links over a predetermined interval, congestion of each of said links over a predetermined interval, capacity of each of said links, usage price of the link or incoming traffic usage of the corresponding block of network layer protocol addresses over a predetermined interval, and
• said congestion control unit, for each block of network layer protocol addresses, causing said block of network layer protocol addresses to be announced in a manner biasing incoming traffic towards said optimal incoming traffic link of said block of network layer protocol addresses.

An article of manufacture comprising storage media having software code embodied therein for dynamically controlling traffic distribution across links between one or more border routers of a first autonomous system and peer border routers of different autonomous systems, said software code comprising:

• a first plurality of binary values logically dividing a network within said first autonomous system into two or more blocks of network layer protocol addresses;
• a second plurality of binary values dynamically determining an optimal incoming traffic link for each of said blocks of network layer protocol addresses based upon any of:
• load of each of said links over a predetermined interval, congestion of each of said links over a predetermined interval capacity of each of said links, usage price of the link or incoming traffic usage of the corresponding block of network layer protocol addresses over a predetermined interval and
• a third plurality of binary values causing, for each block of network layer protocol addresses, said block of network layer protocol addresses to be announced in a manner biasing incoming traffic towards said optimal incoming traffic link of said block of network layer protocol addresses.