Patent ID: 9621453
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A computer implemented method, comprising: configuring one or more devices in a network to route an Internet Control Message Protocol (“ICMP”) packet that includes a source address, a destination address and an option to a software-defined network (“SDN”) controller based on the inclusion of the option in the ICMP packet, wherein the SDN controller is provided on an electronic device and the option indicates, to the SDN controller, a request to discover multiple routes from a source address to a destination address indicated by the packet under at least one of an equal-cost multi-path (“ECMP”) or a weighted-cost multi-path (“WCMP”) routing strategy; receiving the packet including the option at the SDN controller; determining that the destination address indicated by the packet is within a domain controlled by the SDN controller; identifying one or more paths between the source address and the destination address indicated by the packet; and sending the identified one or more paths to the source address indicated by the packet via the network.