# US 2022/0286347 A1 · Compressed bidirectional forwarding detection control packets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0286347 A1 - Document ID: US20220286347A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/685,555 - Filed: 2022-03-03 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-04 - Assignees: ARRIS Enterprises LLC - Applicants: ARRIS Enterprises LLC - Inventors: Kiran Kalidevapura Thimmappa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220286347A1 ## CPC - H04L 41/06: Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications - H04L 43/0811: by checking connectivity - H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route - H04L 45/026: {Details of "hello" or keep-alive messages} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Transmitting hello packets within a network to indicate a status of a device or of a path between devices may use a relatively large amount of memory, for example where the packets are transmitted frequently. Methods, systems, and devices with smaller packet payloads are provided. Methods may include: detecting, by a first device, a configuration state present within a network to which the first device is connected; selecting, by the first device and based on the detected configuration state, between a first format and a second format to be used in generating a hello packet for transmission via the network to a second device, wherein the first format requires at least one field that is absent from the second format; generating, by the first device, the hello packet according to the selected first or second format; and transmitting, by the first device, the generated hello packet to the network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: detecting, by a first device, a configuration state present within a network to which the first device is connected; selecting, by the first device and based on the detected configuration state, between a first format and a second format to be used in generating a hello packet for transmission via the network to a second device, wherein the first format requires at least one field that is absent from the second format; generating, by the first device, the hello packet according to the selected first or second format; and transmitting, by the first device, the generated hello packet to the network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hello packet is a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol (BFD) control packet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting of the configuration state present within the network comprises detecting that the first device is establishing a BFD session with the second device, and wherein the selecting comprises selecting the first format. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting of the configuration state present within the network comprises detecting that the first device or the second device is requesting a configuration change to an established BFD session between the first device and the second device, and wherein the selecting comprises selecting the first format. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the requesting of the configuration change to the established BFD session is responsive to user input. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first format comprises a field for a discriminator value corresponding to the first device, and wherein the field for the discriminator value corresponding to the first device is absent from the second format. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first format comprises a field for a minimum BFD control packet transmission interval value desired by the first device, and wherein the field for the minimum BFD control packet transmission interval value desired by the first device is absent from the second format. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first format comprises a field for a minimum BFD control packet reception interval value supported by the first device, and wherein the field for the minimum BFD control packet reception interval value required by the first device is absent from the second format. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first format comprises a field for a minimum BFD echo packet transmission interval value required by the first device, and wherein the field for the minimum BFD echo packet transmission interval value required by the first device is absent from the second format. ### Claim 10 A networking system comprising: a first networking device; and a second networking device in communication with the first networking device via a network; wherein the first networking device is configured to: detect a configuration state present within the network; select, based on the detected configuration state, between a first format and a second format to be used in generating a hello packet for transmission via the network to the second networking device; generate the hello packet according to the selected first or second format; and transmit the hello packet to the network, and wherein the first format requires at least one field that is absent from the second format. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The networking system of claim 10, wherein the hello packet is a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol (BFD) control packet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The networking system of claim 11, wherein the first networking device is configured to detect that the first networking device is establishing a BFD session with the second networking device, and in response select the first format. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The networking system of claim 11, wherein the first networking device is configured to detect that the first networking device or the second networking device is requesting a configuration change to an established BFD session between the first networking device and the second networking device, and in response select the first format. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The networking system of claim 11, wherein the first format comprises a field for a discriminator value corresponding to the first networking device, and wherein the field for the discriminator value corresponding to the first networking device is absent from the second format. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The networking system of claim 11, wherein the first format comprises a field for a minimum BFD control packet transmission interval value desired by the first networking device, and wherein the field for the minimum BFD control packet transmission interval value desired by the first networking device is absent from the second format. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The networking system of claim 11, wherein the first format comprises a field for a minimum BFD control packet reception interval value supported by the first networking device, and wherein the field for the minimum BFD control packet reception interval value required by the first networking device is absent from the second format. ### Claim 17 A networking system comprising: a first networking device configured to: detect a configuration state present within a network; select, based on the detected configuration state, between a first format and a second format to be used in generating a hello packet for transmission via the network to a second networking device; generate the hello packet according to the selected first or second format; and transmit the hello packet to the network, wherein the first format requires at least one field that is absent from the second format, and wherein the hello packet is a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol (BFD) control packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The networking system of claim 17, wherein the first networking device is configured to detect that the first networking device is establishing a BFD session with the second networking device, and in response select the first format. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The networking system of claim 17, wherein the first networking device is configured to detect that the first networking device or the second networking device is requesting a configuration change to an established BFD session between the first networking device and the second networking device, and in response select the first format. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The networking system of claim 17, wherein the first format comprises a field for a discriminator value corresponding to the first networking device, and wherein the field for the discriminator value corresponding to the first networking device is absent from the second format.