Topology aggregation using parameter obtained by internodal negotiation

A peer group leader node of a peer group in a communication network in which a plurality of interconnected nodes are divided into a plurality of peer groups, each peer group having border nodes via which the peer group is interconnected with other peer groups, comprising:

• negotiating means for exchanging aggregation parameters with other peer group leader nodes to agree on negotiated aggregation parameters;
• topology aggregating means for aggregating physical topology of the border nodes of said peer group into a logical star topology using said negotiated aggregation parameters;
• a database for storing resource data of said logical star topology;
• and
• routing means for exchanging the resource data with a neighbor peer group leader node and updating the database with resource data from the neighbor peer group leader node.

A communication network comprising:

• a plurality of network nodes organized into a plurality of interconnected peer groups, each of said peer groups having a peer group leader node and a plurality of border nodes through which the at least one peer group is connected to other peer groups;
• each network node comprising:
• negotiating means for exchanging aggregation parameters with a neighbor node of the same peer group to agree on a negotiated aggregation parameter;
• link aggregating means for aggregating a plurality of physical links between the network node and a neighbor node into a logical link according to the negotiated aggregation parameter;
• a database for storing resource data of said logical link;
• and
• means for exchanging the resource data with said neighbor node and updating contents of said database with resource data of said neighbor node,
• each group leader node comprising:
• negotiating means for exchanging aggregation parameters with other peer group leader nodes to agree on negotiated aggregation parameters;
• topology aggregating means for aggregating physical topology of the border nodes of said peer group into a logical star topology using said negotiated aggregation parameters;
• a database for storing resource data of said logical star topology;
• and
• routing means for exchanging the resource data with a neighbor peer group leader node and updating the database with resource data from the neighbor peer group leader node.

An aggregation method for each of a plurality of nodes of a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) exchanging aggregation parameters with a neighbor node to agree on a negotiated aggregation parameter;
• b) aggregating a plurality of physical links from the node to the neighbor node into a logical link according to the negotiated aggregation parameter and storing resource data of said logical link into a database;
• and
• c) exchanging the resource data with said neighbor node and updating contents of said database with resource data of said neighbor node.

An aggregation method for each of a plurality of nodes of a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) exchanging aggregation parameters with a neighbor node to agree on a negotiated aggregation parameter;
• b) aggregating a plurality of physical links from the node to the neighbor node into a logical link according to the negotiated aggregation parameter and storing resource data of said logical link into a database;
• c) exchanging the resource data with said neighbor node and updating contents of said database with resource data of said neighbor node;
• d) evaluating an operating performance of said logical link by using traffic data from the network;
• e) updating the negotiated aggregation parameter according to the detected operating performance;
• f) exchanging the updated aggregation parameter with said neighbor node to agree on a negotiated aggregation parameter;
• and
• g) repeating the steps (b) to (f) using the negotiated aggregation parameter.

An aggregation method for each of a plurality of nodes of a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) organizing a plurality of physical links between the node and a neighbor node into a plurality of groups according to similarities of resource classes of said physical links;
• b) exchanging an aggregation parameter with the neighbor node to agree on a negotiated aggregation parameter;
• c) aggregating said physical links into a plurality of said groups of logical links using the negotiated aggregation parameter and storing resource data of said logical link into a database;
• and
• d) exchanging the resource data with said neighbor node and updating contents of said database with resource data of said neighbor node.

An aggregation method for each of a plurality of nodes of a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) organizing a plurality of physical links between the node and a neighbor node into a plurality of groups according to similarities of resource classes of said physical links;
• b) exchanging an aggregation parameter with the neighbor node to agree on a negotiated aggregation parameter;
• c) aggregating said physical links into a plurality of said groups of logical links using the negotiated aggregation parameter and storing resource data of said logical link into a database;
• d) exchanging the resource data with said neighbor node and updating contents of said database with resource data of said neighbor node;
• e) evaluating an operating performance of each of said groups of physical links from traffic data from the network;
• f) updating the negotiated aggregation parameter according to the evaluated operating performance;
• and
• g) repeating the steps (b) to (e) using the updated aggregation parameter as said aggregation parameter.

An aggregation method for a peer group leader node in a communication network formed by a plurality of interconnected nodes which are divided into a plurality of peer groups, each peer group having said peer group leader node and border nodes via which the peer group is interconnected with other peer groups, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) exchanging aggregation parameters with other peer group leader nodes to agree on negotiated aggregation parameters;
• b) aggregating physical topology of the border nodes of said peer group into a logical star topology using said negotiated aggregation parameters and storing resource data of said logical star topology in a database;
• and
• c) exchanging the resource data with a neighbor peer group leader node and updating the database with resource data from the neighbor peer group leader node.

A network node for a communication network in which said node is one of a plurality of network nodes, the network node comprising:

• negotiating means for exchanging aggregation parameters with a neighbor node to agree on a negotiated aggregation parameter, said negotiated aggregation parameter having a value between 0 and 1 inclusive;
• link aggregating means for aggregating a plurality of physical links between the network node and a neighbor node into a logical link according to the negotiated aggregation parameter;
• a database for storing resource data of said logical link;
• and
• means for exchanging the resource data with said neighbor node and updating contents of said database with resource data of said neighbor node.