Withdrawing multiple advertised routes based on a query defined in a withdraw message which may be of particular use in border gateway protocol

A method performed by a node in a network for withdrawing routes, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the node, one or more route update messages identifying a plurality of routes with associated attributes and updating a routing database in the node to include the plurality of routes associated with their said associated attributes;
• receiving, by the node, a particular message associated with a route withdraw operation, the particular message including a plurality of attributes and a value defining an operator defining a relationship between the plurality of attributes for use in withdrawing one or more routes from the routing database;
• performing, by the node in response to said receiving the particular message, a query, identified by the plurality of attributes and the operator, on the routing database to identify one or more particular routes of the plurality of routes in the routing database, with the operator defining for the query the matching requirements of the plurality of attributes against attributes associated with routes in the routing database;
• and
• withdrawing, by the node, said one or more particular routes from the routing database said identified by the query said performed on the routing database.

An apparatus for withdrawing routes, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving one or more route update messages identifying a plurality of routes with associated attributes or Type-Length-Values (TLVs) and updating a routing database to include the plurality of routes associated with their said associated attributes or TLVs;
• means for receiving a particular message associated with a route withdraw operation, the particular message including two specified values and a value defining an operator, with each of said two specified values being an attribute or a TLV;
• means for performing, by the node in response to said receiving the particular message, a query on the routine database to identify one or more particular routes of the plurality of routes in the routing database, with the operator defining for the query the matching requirements of said two specified values against attributes or TLVs associated with routes in the routing database;
• and
• means for withdrawing one or more particular routes from the routing database said identified by the query said performed on the routing database.

An apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory, wherein the memory stores one or more instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors, perform operations comprising:

• updating a routing database to include a plurality of routes associated with their associated attributes or Type-Length-Value (TLVs) received in one or more route update messages identifying the plurality of routes with said associated attributes or TLVs;
• and
• withdrawing one or more routes from the routing database in response to (1) a received particular message associated with a route withdraw operation, the particular message including a specified operator and at least two specified values, with each of said at least two specified values being an attribute or a TLV, and (2) a query defined based on said at least two specified values and said specified operator to identify said one or more routes whose said associated attributes or TLV's said included in the routing database match the query;
• wherein said specified operator defines for the query the matching requirements of said at least two specified values against attributes or TLVs associated with routes in the routing database.