Network equipment with inter-network policy-based routing function

A method for routing a data packet through a first network element of a communication network, further comprising a plurality of second network elements, the first and second network elements being interconnected by internetwork communication links, the routing method comprising:

• a traditional routing process including taking a routing decision as a function of a destination of the data packet according to route learning in the communication network,
• reviewing the routing decision via an internetwork policy-based routing function selected from among a plurality of candidate internetwork policy-based routing functions of said first network element, each candidate internetwork policy-based routing function being assigned to an egress interface of said first network element and vice versa, the selected internetwork policy-based routing function being the candidate internetwork policy-based routing function assigned to the egress interface selected by the traditional routing process for routing said data packet in the communication network.

A network element, called first network element, of a communication network, further comprising a plurality of second network elements, the first and second network elements being configured to be interconnected by internetwork communication links, the first network element implementing a traditional routing process including taking a routing decision as a function of a destination of a data packet according to route learning in the communication network, wherein the first network element further comprises electronic circuitry configured to review the routing decision taken by the traditional routing process by means of an internetwork policy-based routing function selected from among a plurality of candidate internetwork policy-based routing functions of said first network element, each candidate internetwork policy-based routing function being assigned to an egress interface of said first network element and vice versa, the selected internetwork policy-based routing function being the candidate internetwork policy-based routing function assigned to the egress interface selected by the traditional routing process for routing said data packet in the communication network.