Patent ID: 8199642
Filing Date: 2012-06-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: determining a set of attribute groups (AGs) of existing child tunnels through a network, wherein a child tunnel is a logical structure that encapsulates a packet of one protocol inside a data field of a packet of another protocol with a new header to create a transparent virtual network link between nodes of the network, and an AG is a group of compatible attributes among child tunnels, excluding bandwidth; determining a set of corresponding child tunnels that belong to a particular AG and that follow a shared path segment through the network; determining a number of child tunnels in the set of corresponding child tunnels that belong to the particular AG and that follow the shared path segment; and dynamically establishing, by a grooming node in the network, a hierarchical tunnel that encapsulates the set of corresponding child tunnels along the shared path segment, in response to the number being greater than a threshold.