Patent ID: 9160651
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method in a network element for modifying the characteristics of tree construction for use in virtual network connectivity in a network that includes the network element, a virtual network is associated with a set of virtual network attachment points that are mapped to network elements in a topology of the network where the virtual network is individually associated with an equal cost tree (ECT) set, the method to generate individual ECT sets to interconnect sets of virtual network attachment points for connectivity establishment and maintenance of the connectivity in the network, the method to modify link metrics across the topology of the network to be used for computing an ECT set to bias a tie-breaking process for selecting between equal cost paths toward either producing minimal cost shortest path multicast trees or maximizing unicast path diversity in the multiple ECT sets that are generated, the method comprising the steps of: selecting the virtual network that requires connectivity in the network; computing shortest path trees to interconnect the set of virtual network attachment points for the virtual network without resolving ties between the shortest path trees; determining which nodes of the shortest path trees for the virtual network are candidate nodes for metric biasing using metric propagation; implementing metric biasing using metric propagation based on biasing configuration; and tie-breaking all multi-path possibilities in the shortest path trees to produce the set of ECTs for the virtual network and the set of virtual network attachment points.