Mixed distributed/centralized routing techniques based on closed-loop feedback from a learning machine to avoid dark zones

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces that communicate with a network;
• a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute a process;
• and
• a memory configured to store program instructions which contain the process executable by the processor, the process comprising:
• determining a routing topology of the network including nodes interconnected by communication links;
• monitoring activity in the network to determine a normal behavior of the communication links;
• detecting weak communication links in the network that deviate from the determined normal behavior;
• determining whether the weak communication links are spatially correlated based on the determined topology of the network;
• in response to the weak communication links being spatially correlated, identifying a region of the network affected by the weak communication links as a dark zone that is to be substantially avoided when routing data packets in the network;
• identifying one or more nodes in the network substantially within the dark zone;
• and
• sending an instruction to the one or more nodes to locally reroute a data packet received by the one or more nodes, such that the dark zone is substantially avoided when forwarding the data packet.

A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions that cause a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

• determining a routing topology of a network including nodes interconnected by communication links;
• monitoring activity in the network to determine a normal behavior of the communication links;
• detecting weak communication links in the network that deviate from the determined normal behavior;
• determining whether the weak communication links are spatially correlated based on the determined topology of the network;
• in response to the weak communication links being spatially correlated, identifying a region of the network affected by the weak communication links as a dark zone that is to be substantially avoided when routing data packets in the network;
• identifying one or more nodes in the network substantially within the dark zone;
• and
• sending an instruction to the one or more nodes to locally reroute a data packet received by the one or more nodes, such that the dark zone is substantially avoided when forwarding the data packet.