Patent ID: 7590119
Filing Date: 2009-09-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of providing routing table updates in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) hosts, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: defining one or more contexts in computer memory of a BGP host, wherein each context represents a distinct routing table; wherein defining said one or more contexts includes associating each context of said one or more contexts with a unique context identifier and a unique context description; as part of establishing a BGP session between said BGP host and a BGP peer, advertising a particular context of said one or more contexts to said BGP peer; wherein advertising said particular context includes sending to said BGP peer a context identifier and a context description associated with said particular context; and in response to receiving from said BGP peer a route update message that includes information identifying said particular context, updating, at said BGP host, a particular routing table that is represented by said particular context; wherein said information, that is included in said route update message, includes said context identifier.