Patent ID: 9654382
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method comprising obtaining in a computer storage, by a system comprising the computer storage and one or more computer processors which execute software stored in the computer storage, a forwarding database for use in packet forwarding by a first switch, wherein obtaining the forwarding database comprises the system performing operations of: determining one or more first outgoing links for one or more shortest paths from the first switch to a first destination; for at least one shortest path to the first destination, selecting a second switch in the shortest path; determining one or more second outgoing links for one or more non-minimal paths from the first switch to the second switch based on one or more predefined restrictions which allow a non-minimal path to the second switch to pass through a switch which is farther from the first destination than is the first switch; storing forwarding data in the computer storage in the forwarding database, the forwarding data specifying the first and second outgoing links as alternate links available to forward packets to the first destination.