Patent ID: 7987288
Filing Date: 2011-07-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for routing data packets in a packet switching data network having network nodes, wherein in the data network: data packets are transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver; the data packets have destination addresses; the data packets are routed by the network nodes according to the destination addresses; more than one path and consequently at least one alternative path to a destination is available in at least one network node; successive packets or groups of packets are transmitted via different or multiple paths from the transmitter to the receiver in accordance with a defined traffic distribution which is determined by respectively assigned traffic distribution weightings; the method comprising: assigning a first and a second transmission path to a destination address; including the first and the second transmission paths in a routing table of at least one network node of the data network, wherein the first and the second transmission paths have assigned traffic distribution weightings indicating a portion of the traffic load allocated to each transmission path; assigning a maximum traffic distribution weighting to the first transmission path; assigning a minimum traffic distribution weighting to the second transmission path; as long as the first transmission path and the second transmission path are both available, routing the data packets via the first transmission path; and using links carrying the minimum traffic distribution weighting for the transmission of data packets only when a desired adjacent router or next hop towards the destination can no longer be reached by any other path.