US 9,319,277 B2Granted

Network router employing enhanced prefix limiting

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorIsrael Means

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Abstract

A disclosed method of managing a provider edge (PE) router includes defining a neighbor specific prefix limit and a neighbor specific restart parameter applicable to a neighbor of the PE router. The neighbor may be a customer edge (CE) router connected to the PE router. A neighbor specific count of prefixes advertised by the CE router is monitored against the prefix limit. When a neighbor specific prefix limit violation occurs, the PE-to-CE connection is suspended for a duration determined at least in part by the restart parameter and then automatically resumed. The PE router may define an address family prefix limit and an address family restart parameter applicable to the CE router's address family. Violations of the address family prefix limit may result in temporary suspension of all connections between the PE router and the members of the address family.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A network management method, comprising:

defining a family prefix limit and a family restart parameter applicable to a first address family, wherein the first address family includes a first set of family member routers neighboring a first router, wherein each of the first set of family member routers is connected to the first router and wherein the first set of family member routers comprises a plurality of less than all routers neighboring the first router, and wherein the family prefix limit comprises a cumulative limit on a number of prefixes advertised per specified interval of time by all family members;
monitoring a set of family prefix counts, each corresponding to a different one of the family member routers, each indicative of prefixes advertised by the corresponding family member router;
determining a cumulative family prefix count by summing together each of the family prefix counts;
and
responsive to detecting that the cumulative family prefix count exceeds the family prefix limit:
selecting a particular family member router with the highest family prefix count;
suspending a connection between the first router and the selected router for a suspension duration determined at least in part by the family restart parameter;
and
automatically resuming the connection after the suspension duration.

6 more elements

A network router suitable for use as a provider edge router, comprising:

a hardware processor;
a storage resource including a tangible computer readable medium accessible to the processor;
and
a plurality of ports operable to establish connections with external routers;
wherein the storage resource includes computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
defining an address family prefix limit and an address family restart parameter applicable to a first address family, comprising a plurality of family member routers comprising less than all neighbor routers connected to the provider edge router;
monitoring a set of family prefix count counts, each corresponding to a different one of the family member routers, each indicative of prefixes advertised by a corresponding one of the family member routers;
determining a cumulative family prefix count by summing together each of the family prefix counts;
and
responsive to detecting that the cumulative family prefix count exceeds the address family prefix limit, selecting, in a round robin fashion, a particular family member router and suspending peering between the provider edge router and the particular family member router for a suspension duration determined at least in part by the restart parameter.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.