System and method to route data in an anycast environment

A system to route data in an anycast network, the system comprising:

• an intelligent route reflector device that includes processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to:
• send an instruction to an anycast router associated with the anycast network to which the intelligent route reflector is coupled, wherein the instruction signals the anycast router to statically route outbound traffic to an initial firewall farm associated with an anycast internet protocol address;
• identify prefixes of internet protocol addresses of customer endpoints that communicate with the anycast network via the anycast router;
• instruct a firewall router to send a route advertisement to the anycast network announcing that the firewall router is a subsequent best hop for data traffic that is bound for customer endpoints having an internet protocol address that includes the prefixes;
• and
• send another instruction from the intelligent route reflector to the anycast router after detecting a change in a network condition, wherein the other instruction signals the anycast router to statically route outbound traffic to another firewall farm associated with the anycast internet protocol address.

A computer memory including processor-readable instructions that are executable by processing logic to perform a method, the method comprising:

• determining that an anycast router associated with an anycast network routes data to a first service node corresponding to a network service, from customer endpoints that communicate with the anycast network via the anycast router, wherein the first service node is associated with an anycast internet protocol address;
• identifying prefixes of internet protocol addresses of the customer endpoints;
• instructing a first service node router to send a route advertisement to the anycast network announcing that the first service node router is a subsequent best hop for data traffic that is related to the network service and that is bound for customer endpoints having the internet protocol address that includes the prefixes;
• determining that the anycast router routes data to a second service node corresponding to the network service and associated with the anycast internet protocol address, after a change in a network condition;
• sending an instruction to the first service node router associated with the first service node to stop advertising that it is the subsequent best hop for data traffic that is related to the network service and that is bound for a customer endpoint having an internet protocol address that includes the prefixes;
• and
• instructing a second service node router associated with the second service node to send another route advertisement to the anycast network announcing that the second service node router is the subsequent best hop for data traffic that is related to the network service and that is bound for customer endpoints having an internet protocol address that includes the prefixes.