Method and apparatus for routing data using router identification information

A router in a network comprising:

• a routing table containing a destination and a route to the destination, the routing table being generated by the router:
• a router table including all known routers;
• and
• a routing engine coupled to the routing table and the router table, the routing engine being configured to forward data toward the destination in response to router identification information associated with the data and to identify a next hop router from the router table if the router table and the data contain the router identification information.

A router in a network comprising:

• a routing table containing a destination and a route to the destination, the routing table being generated by the router;
• a router table including all known routers;
• and
• a routing engine coupled to the routing table and the router table, the routing engine being configured to forward data toward the destination in response to router identification information associated with the data and to identify a next hop router from the routing table if the data and the router table do not contain the router identification information.

A routing apparatus comprising:

• means for determining whether router identification information is associated with data;
• means for identifying a next hop router from a router table if router identification information is associated with the data, wherein the router table includes all known routers;
• and
• means for identifying a next hop router from a routing table containing a destination and a route to the destination if router identification information is not associated with the data, the routing table being generated by the routing apparatus.

A computer software product comprising a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

• determine whether router identification information is associated with received data;
• identify a next hop router from a router table if router identification information is associated with the received data;
• and
• identify a next hop router from a routing table containing a destination and a route to the destination if router identification information is not associated with the received data, the routing table being generated by a router.