Patent ID: 8982689
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, performed by a node of a plurality of nodes in a communication network, for selecting between equal cost shortest paths in the network using split tiebreakers, comprising the steps of: advertising a first and second system identifier (ID) for the node, wherein the first and second system IDs are associated with a first and second set of traffic IDs respectively, wherein traffic IDs are used to distinguish different virtual networks within the network, and wherein each traffic ID is associated with a tiebreaking transform; receiving a third and fourth system ID for each of the other plurality of nodes in the network, wherein the third and fourth system IDs are associated with the first and second set of traffic IDs respectively; constructing a plurality of different equal cost shortest paths between a first node and a second node of the network; selecting, for each traffic ID, one of the constructed equal cost shortest paths by: responsive to a failure that affects traffic for a plurality of traffic IDs on one or more selected equal cost shortest paths, distributing traffic associated with those traffic IDs across a plurality of other equal cost shortest paths because of the configuration of the system IDs and the traffic IDs in the network.