System and method for dynamically responding to event-based traffic redirection

An apparatus for dynamically resizing Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched Paths (LSPs) at a head-end node of the TE-LSPs in preparation to receive redirected traffic in response to an event in a computer network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for maintaining steady state TE-LSP sampling and resizing frequencies, wherein a TE-LSP sampling frequency is a frequency at which an amount of traffic on one or more TE-LSPs is measured, and a TE-LSP resizing frequency is a frequency at which one or more TE-LSPs are resized, the TE-LSP resizing frequency being a lower frequency than the TE-LSP sampling frequency;
• means for detecting an event in the computer network identifying possible traffic redirection;
• means for, in response to the event, entering a Fast Resize (FR) state, in which TE-LSP sampling and resizing frequencies are increased from the steady state TE-LSP sampling and resizing frequency to FR state TE-LSP sampling and resizing frequencies, to speed adaptation of a TE-LSP bandwidth to accommodate any received redirected traffic;
• and
• means for returning, after the FR state is completed, to using the steady state TE-LSP sampling and resizing frequencies.

A system for dynamically resizing Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched Paths (LSPs) in preparation to receive redirected traffic in response to an event in a computer network, the system comprising:

• a head-end node of the TE-LSPs;
• a memory for storing a TE-LSP sampling frequency and a TE-LSP resizing frequency, wherein the TE-LSP sampling frequency is a frequency at which an amount of traffic on one or more TE-LSPs is measured, and the TE-LSP resizing frequency is a frequency at which one or more TE-LSPs are resized, the TE-LSP resizing frequency being a lower frequency than the TE-LSP sampling frequency;
• and
• wherein the head-end node receives a notification indicating an event in the computer network identifying possible traffic redirection, wherein the head-end node enters a Fast Resize (FR) state in response to receiving the notification, in which the TE-LSP sampling frequency and TE-LSP resizing frequency are increased from a steady state TE-LSP sampling frequency and a steady state TE-LSP resizing frequency to a FR state sampling frequency and a FR state TE-LSP resizing frequency, to speed adaptation of a TE-LSP bandwidth to accommodate any received redirected traffic, and wherein the head-end node returns, after the FR state is completed, to use of the steady state TE-LSP sampling frequency and the steady state TE-LSP resizing frequency.

A node for dynamically resizing Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched Paths (LSPs) in preparation to receive redirected traffic in response to an event in a computer network, the node comprising:

• a memory, the memory configured to store a TE-LSP sampling frequency and a TE-LSP resizing frequency, wherein the TE-LSP sampling frequency is a frequency at which an amount of traffic on one or more TE-LSPs is measured, and the TE-LSP resizing frequency is a frequency at which one or more TE-LSPs are resized, the TE-LSP resizing frequency being a lower frequency than the TE-LSP sampling frequency;
• a network interface configured to receive a notification indicating an event in the computer network identifying possible traffic redirection;
• and
• a processor configured to initiate a Fast Resize (FR) state at the node in response to receiving the notification, to increase the TE-LSP sampling frequency and TE-LSP resizing frequency from a steady state TE-LSP sampling frequency and a steady state TE-LSP resizing frequency to a FR state TE-LSP sampling frequency and a FR state TE-LSP resizing frequency, to speed adaptation of a TE-LSP bandwidth to accommodate any received redirected traffic, and, after the FR state is completed, to return to use of the steady state TE-LSP sampling frequency and the steady state TE-LSP resizing frequency.

A method comprising:

• using a steady state Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched Path (LSP) sampling frequency and a steady state TE-LSP resizing frequency at a head-end node of one or more TE-LSPs in a computer network, wherein a TE-LSP sampling frequency is a frequency at which an amount of traffic on one or more TE-LSPs is measured, and a TE-LSP resizing frequency is a frequency at which one or more TE-LSPs are resized, the TE-LSP resizing frequency being a lower frequency than the TE-LSP sampling frequency;
• detecting a network topology change;
• determining whether the detected network topology change indicates possible traffic redirection;
• in response to the detected network topology change indicating possible traffic redirection, beginning to use a Fast Resize (FR) state TE-LSP sampling frequency and a FR state TE-LSP resizing frequency at the head-end node, wherein the FR state TE-LSP sampling frequency and the FR state TE-LSP resizing frequency are higher frequencies than the steady state TE-LSP sampling frequency and the steady state TE-LSP resizing frequency, respectively;
• and
• after a period of time, returning to using the steady state TE-LSP sampling frequency and the steady state TE-LSP resizing frequency at the head end node.