# US 2019/0379601 A1 · Communication between distinct network domains > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0379601 A1 - Document ID: US20190379601A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/551,381 - Filed: 2019-08-26 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-22 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Atif Khan; Himanshu H. Shah; Nehal Bhau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190379601A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/507: {Label distribution} - H04L 45/748: using longest matching prefix - H04L 45/04: {Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system may include a first border network device located between a first network domain and a third network domain, and a first edge network device in the first network domain, where the first edge network device may be configured to receive a packet. The packet may be directed to a second edge network device in a second network domain. The first edge network device may also be configured to add a second label to the packet that identifies a second border network device located at the border of a second network domain and the third network domain. The third network domain may be located between the first network domain and the second network domain. The first edge network device may additionally be configured to add a first label to the packet that identifies the first border network device, and route the packet to the first border network device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: sharing segment information across a plurality of network devices to enable routing of a packet between a plurality of border network devices without referencing an address of the packet identifying an edge network device; receiving the packet at a first one of the plurality of border network devices, the first one of the plurality of border network devices located at a border of a plurality of network domains; removing, at the first one of the plurality of border network devices, a first label of a plurality of labels from the packet, the first label identifying the first one of the plurality of border network devices, the plurality of labels forming a label stack or an encapsulation of the packet; receiving the packet at a second one of the plurality of border network devices located at another border of the plurality of network domains; removing, at the second one of the plurality of border network devices, a second label of the plurality of labels from the packet, the second label identifying the second one of the plurality of border network devices; and routing the packet based on the address to the edge network device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: confirming the packet was to-be received by the first one of the plurality of border network devices; and routing the packet to the second one of the plurality of border network devices based on the second label. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein routing of the packet to the second one of the plurality of border network devices is performed without storing the address of the packet identifying the second one of the plurality of border network devices and without referencing the address. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: routing the packet based on an identifier in the packet, the identifier being a transport locator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining availability of each of a first plurality of path segments through a first one of the plurality of network domains; determining availability of each of a second plurality of path segments through a second one of the plurality of network domains; and determining availability of each of a third plurality of path segments through a third of the plurality of network domains. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: selecting a first path segment from the first plurality of path segments based on the first path segment being available; selecting a second path segment from the second plurality of path segments based on the second path segment being available; and selecting a third path segment from the third plurality of path segments based on the third path segment being available. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein selecting the first path segment is further based on network performance of the first path segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting a first message to a control device, the first message including an identifier and an Internet Protocol (IP) prefix. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: transmitting a second message to the control device, the second message including the identifier. ### Claim 10 A network device comprising: one or more processors; one or more communication devices; and one or more non-transitory computer readable media containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, performs operations comprising: sharing segment information across a plurality of network devices to enable routing of a packet between a plurality of border network devices without referencing an address of the packet identifying an edge network device; receiving the packet at a first one of the plurality of border network devices, the first one of the plurality of border network devices located at a border of a plurality of network domains; removing, at the first one of the plurality of border network devices, a first label of a plurality of labels from the packet, the first label identifying the first one of the plurality of border network devices, the plurality of labels forming a label stack or an encapsulation of the packet; receiving the packet at a second one of the plurality of border network devices located at another border of the plurality of network domains; removing, at the second one of the plurality of border network devices, a second label of the plurality of labels from the packet, the second label identifying the second one of the plurality of border network devices; and routing the packet based on the address to the edge network device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The network device of claim 10, the operations further comprising: determining availability of each of a first plurality of path segments through a first one of the plurality of network domains; determining availability of each of a second plurality of path segments through a second one of the plurality of network domains; and determining availability of each of a third plurality of path segments through a third one of the plurality of network domains. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The network device of claim 11, the operations further comprising: selecting a first path segment from the first plurality of path segments based on the first path segment being available; selecting a second path segment from the second plurality of path segments based on the second path segment being available; and selecting a third path segment from the third plurality of path segments based on the third path segment being available. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The network device of claim 12, wherein selection of the first path segment is further based on network performance of the first path segment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The network device of claim 11, wherein the one or more communication devices are configured to communicate over a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) connection, an Internet connection, and a cellular connection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The network device of claim 11, the operations further comprising: generating a first message to be transmitted via the one or more communication devices to a control device, the first message including an identifier of the network device and an Internet Protocol (IP) prefix associated with the network device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The network device of claim 15, the operations further comprising: generating a second message to be transmitted via the one or more communication devices to the control device, the second message including the identifier of the network device. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a first one of a plurality of border network devices, each of the plurality of border network devices located at a border between a plurality of network domains the first one of the plurality of border network devices configured to receive a packet and remove a first label of a plurality of labels from the packet, the first label identifying the first one of the plurality of border network devices, the plurality of labels forming a label stack or an encapsulation of the packet, the packet received by first one of the plurality of border network devices without referencing an address of the packet identifying an edge network device; and a second one of the plurality of border network devices, the second one of the plurality of border network devices configured to receive the packet without referencing the address of the packet and remove a second label of the plurality of labels from the packet to enable routing of the packet based on the address to the edge network device, the second label identifying the second one of the plurality of border network devices. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the first one of the plurality of border network devices is configured to: confirm the packet was to-be received by the first one of the plurality of border network devices; and route the packet to the second one of the plurality of border network devices based on the second label. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the first one of the plurality of border network devices is further configured to route the packet without storing the address of the packet identifying the second one of the plurality of border network devices and without referencing the address. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the second one of the plurality of border network devices is configured to route the packet based on an identifier in the packet, the identifier being a transport locator.