Routing protocol extension for network acceleration service-aware path selection within computer networks

A first router included within a network comprising:

• a first service engine that provides a first set of acceleration services;
• a control unit that determines first service information that describes the first set of acceleration services provided by the first service engine;
• and
• at least one interface card that receives a routing protocol message having second service information that describes a second set of acceleration services provided by a second service engine included within a second router and receives a packet that identifies a destination to which the packet is destined,
• wherein the control unit further classifies the packet to determine a software application to which the packet corresponds, identifies at least one of the first set of accelerations services to apply to the packet based on the determined software application to which the packet corresponds, determines whether the second set of acceleration services described by the second service information shares the identified at least one of the first set of acceleration services, and invokes, based on the determination, a protocol on the first router to select a path through the network that includes the second router, wherein the path includes a plurality of next hops from the first router to the destination, and wherein the first router selects the path through the network so that the second router is positioned along the path between the first router and the destination,
• wherein the first service engine applies the at least one shared acceleration service to the packet in order to accelerate delivery of the packet, and
• wherein the at least one interface card forwards the packet along the determined path such that the second service engine of the second router along the path applies the at least one shared acceleration service to reconstruct the packet forwarded via the path.

A network system comprising:

• a first network that includes a first router, wherein the first router includes:
• a first service engine that provides a first set of acceleration services;
• and
• a control unit that determines first service information that describes the first set of acceleration services provided by the first service engine;
• and
• a second network that includes a second router, wherein the second router includes a second service engine that provides a second set of acceleration services,
• wherein the first router further includes at least one interface card that receives a routing protocol message having second service information that describes the second set of acceleration services provided by the second service engine included within the second router and receives a packet that identifies a destination to which the packet is destined,
• wherein the control unit further classifies the packet to determine a software application to which the packet corresponds, identifies at least one of the first set of accelerations services to apply to the packet based on the determined software application to which the packet corresponds, determines whether the second set of acceleration services described by the second service information shares the identified at least one of the first set of acceleration services, and invokes, based on the determination, a protocol on the first router to select a path through a third network that includes the second router, wherein the path includes a plurality of next hops from the first router to the destination, and wherein the first router selects the path through the third network so that the second router is positioned along the path between the first router and the destination,
• wherein the first service engine applies the at least one shared acceleration service to the packet in order to accelerate delivery of the packet, and
• wherein the at least one interface card forwards the packet along the determined path such that the second service engine of the second router along the path applies the at least one shared acceleration service to reconstruct the packet forwarded via the path.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

• determine, with a first router, first service information that describes a first set of acceleration services provided by a first service engine included within the first router;
• receive, with the first router, a routing protocol message having second service information that describes a second set of acceleration services provided by a second service engine included within a second router;
• receive, with the first router, a packet, wherein the packet identifies a destination to which the packet is destined;
• classify, with the first router, the packet to determine a software application to which the packet corresponds;
• identify, with the first router, at least one of the first set of accelerations services to apply to the packet based on the determined software application to which the packet corresponds;
• determine, with the first router, whether the second set of acceleration services described by the second service information shares the identified at least one of the first set of acceleration services;
• based on the determination, invoke a protocol on the first router to select a path through a network that includes the second router, wherein the path includes a plurality of next hops from the first router to the destination, and wherein the first router selects the path through a third network so that the second router is positioned along the path between the first router and the destination;
• based on the determination, apply, with the first service engine of the first router, the at least one shared acceleration service to the packet in order to accelerate delivery of the packet;
• and
• forward, with the first router, the accelerated packet along the determined path such that the second service engine of the second router along the path applies the at least one shared acceleration service to reconstruct the packet forwarded via the path.