Patent ID: 8072907
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for transmitting a packet through a network, the method comprising: determining a first identifier associated with a network device in a network, the first identifier being used to uniquely identify a plurality of first packets that are generated by the network device; generating, by the network device, the plurality of first packets, each of the plurality of first packets including the first identifier and a different sequence number in a sequence of numbers, wherein the sequence numbers in the sequence are incremented until reaching a maximum sequence number in the sequence, wherein information in the plurality of first packets relates to a network topology of the network; determining that a packet in the plurality of first packets generated by the network device has a sequence number equal to a maximum sequence number; and based upon the determination that the sequence number of the packet has reached the maximum sequence number: based on determining the second identifier to be non-unique in the network, purging the plurality of second packets identified by the second identifier, and performing the modifying of the first identifier to generate a second identifier, generating at least one second packet including the second identifier, and determining uniqueness of the second identifier, until the second identifier is determined to be unique in the network.