Method and apparatus for updating best path based on real-time congestion feedback

A volatile or non-volatile computer readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

• monitoring packets received from an internetworked system, wherein the packets are received on one of a plurality of external interfaces of a networking device;
• detecting that a received packet includes real-time information that signals a present or pending congestion condition on a path from the external interfaces of the networking device to the internetworked system;
• wherein the present or pending congestion condition is experienced by a first traffic flow of data packets from the external interfaces of the networking device to the internetworked device;
• notifying a control logic of the real-time information;
• receiving from the control logic control information defining a change in one or more paths from the external interfaces to the internetworked system;
• wherein the change in the one or more paths addresses said present or pending congestion condition;
• wherein the change diverts traffic of one or more other traffic flows of data packets to other paths that are different from the path;
• wherein the change maintains the path for the first traffic flow of data packets;
• and
• changing the one or more paths from the external interfaces to the internetworked system.

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a network interface communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to communicate one or more packet flows among the one or more processors in a network;
• and
• a computer readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
• monitoring packets received from an internetworked system, wherein the packets are received on one of a plurality of external interfaces of a networking device;
• detecting that a received packet includes real-time information that signals a present or pending congestion condition on a path from the external interfaces of the networking device to the internetworked system;
• wherein the present or pending congestion condition is experienced by a first traffic flow of data packets from the external interfaces of the networking device to the internetworked device;
• notifying a control logic of the real-time information;
• receiving from the control logic control information defining a change in one or more paths from the external interfaces to the internetworked system;
• wherein the change in the one or more paths addresses said present or pending congestion condition;
• wherein the change diverts traffic of one or more other traffic flows of data packets to other paths that are different from the path;
• wherein the change maintains the path for the first traffic flow of data packets;
• and
• changing the one or more paths from the external interfaces to the internetworked system.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for monitoring packets received from an internetworked system, wherein the packets are received on one of a plurality of external interfaces of a networking device;
• means for detecting that a received packet includes real-time information that signals a present or pending congestion condition on a path from the external interfaces of the networking device to the internetworked system;
• wherein the present or pending congestion condition is experienced by a first traffic flow of data packets from the external interfaces of the networking device to the internetworked device;
• means for notifying a control logic of the real-time information;
• means for receiving from the control logic control information defining a change in one or more paths from the external interfaces to the internetworked system;
• wherein the change in the one or more paths addresses said present or pending congestion condition;
• wherein the change diverts traffic of one or more other traffic flows of data packets to other paths that are different from the path;
• wherein the change maintains the path for the first traffic flow of data packets;
• and
• means for changing the one or more paths from the external interfaces to the internetworked system.