Method and apparatus for identifying different routing paths between networks
AssigneeConsole Connect Inc.
InventorsAl Burgio, Joseph B. Gillman, William B. Norton, Thomas Brian Madej
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for analyzing IP data flows for the determination of an alternate routing path for network traffic between a known first network and a destination within an unknown second network on the Internet. An initial path between the first network and the destination exists. The IP address of the destination is determined and looked up in an Internet database. An alternative route to the destination is determined based on information from the Internet database in order to avoid an interconnecting transit network.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for identifying alternate routing paths for network traffic between a known first network and a destination within an unknown second network on the Internet, the method comprising:
- collecting, by a processor of a computer, network traffic data from one or more network devices by way of at least one of a network tap and a port mirror;
- determining, by the processor, an initial routing path from the network traffic data, the initial routing path between the first network and the destination within the unknown second network crosses at least one interconnecting transit network;
- the method further comprising:
- a. obtaining, at the processor, destination IP address information for the destination within the unknown second network from the network traffic data;
- b. the processor linking the network traffic data to a third-party Internet database to determine an identity of the second network;
- and
- c. the processor using the identity of the second network to identify a second routing path comprising a peer connection between the first network and the second network wherein the peer connection and the second routing path differs from the initial routing path and bypasses the at least one interconnecting transit network.
A system for identifying different routing paths for autonomous networks, comprising:
- a. physical infrastructure operable to provide a peer connection between a first autonomous network (AN) and a second AN over a routing path that differs from an initial routing path between the first AN and the second AN, the initial path traversing at least one interconnecting transit network:
- b. at least one database operable to maintain destination internet protocol (IP) addresses correlated to a set of ANs and routing information for the set of ANs;
- c. a processing module communicatively coupled to the at least one database, having a processor, memory unit, and executable code and operable to:
- i. receive and aggregate network traffic data from one or more network devices;
- ii. link the network traffic to the at least one database;
- iii. receive a destination IP address for network traffic;
- iv. compare the destination IP address to information in the at least one database to determine an identity of the second AN;
- and
- v. determine the peer connection and routing path to the second AN based on the identity of the second AN and the routing information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.