Method and system for providing a routing architecture for overlay networks
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson
InventorsAnnikki Welin, Victor Souza
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A link state overlay routing protocol that is capable of routing based on flat identifiers is proposed. The very fundamental problem that exists with 5 routing based on flat identifiers is that the identifier space can not be aggregated. All existing routing is based on hierarchy and aggregations of IP-addresses to network addresses, so called subnetting. The proposed routing protocol is capable of deciding the best path to a destination taking into account different possible parameters (e.g., round trip time). The scalability of the 10 protocol is solved by not taking decisions based upon a single end-node identifier; instead the routing decisions are taken based on a network identifier.
Claims26
A method of routing data packets in an overlay network built over heterogeneous layer-3 domains, the method comprising:
- defining and associating unique, self-generated end-node flat identifiers with layer-3 network addresses in the layer-3 domains;
- utilizing a transport protocol for binding communication sessions to the flat identifiers;
- registering end-nodes with Hierarchical Distributed Hash Tables adapted to work in the heterogeneous layer-3 domains;
- and
- routing data packets between registered end-nodes by an Overlay Router in the overlay network, said Overlay Router utilizing a header in the data packets that includes network identifiers to route data packets in the layer-3 domains of the overlay network.
An overlay network system built over heterogeneous layer-3 domains, the architecture comprising:
- means for defining and associating unique, self-generated end-node flat identifiers with layer-3 network addresses in the layer-3 domains;
- a transport protocol for binding communication sessions to the flat identifiers instead of the layer-3 network addresses;
- at least one Overlay Router for routing data packets in the overlay network, the Overlay Router translating between different layer-3 protocols;
- and
- registration means for registering end-nodes with Hierarchical Distributed Hash Tables adapted to work in the heterogeneous layer-3 network;
- wherein the Overlay Router routes data packets between registered end-nodes in the overlay network, utilizing network identifiers included in an Overlay header in the data packets.
A method of merging Distributed Hash Table (DHT) rings in heterogeneous network domains, wherein each domain includes a DHT ring, the method comprising:
- determining that a node is common to a first and a second DHT ring;
- starting a link between a node in the first DHT ring and a node in the second DHT ring by establishing an indirect link through the common node;
- creating an indirect link between the first and second DHT ring, the first and second DHT ring being on the same hierarchical level and having at least one Overlay Router in common;
- and
- creating virtual links to DHT rings positioned higher in the DHT ring hierarchy until all the DHT rings are merged into a single logical ring.
An overlay router for routing data packets in an overlay network built over heterogeneous layer-3 domains, said overlay router comprising:
- receiver means for receiving a message comprising flat identifiers from an end-node being registered with an Hierarchical Distributed Hash Table (DHT) that operates in the heterogeneous layer-3 domain;
- means for associating the flat identifiers with layer-3 network addresses in the layer-3 domains;
- means for utilizing a transport protocol to bind communication sessions to the flat identifiers;
- means for translating between different layer-3 protocols;
- and means for routing the message in the overlay network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.