Patent ID: 8085688
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: generating, with a processor, a model of an Internet Protocol network, the network to include a proposed tunnel, the proposed tunnel to extend between a head-end tunneling capable router and a tail-end tunneling capable router, the network further comprising a plurality of intermediate tunneling capable routers, and a plurality of inter router links; determining costs for candidate paths for implementing the proposed tunnel in the network, the cost of each of the candidate paths comprising a sum of transmission costs assigned to respective ones of the inter router links implementing the respective candidate path; comparing the costs of the candidate paths to identify a single least cost path for the proposed tunnel or a plurality of equal cost candidate paths for the proposed tunnel; if a single least cost path is identified, selecting the single least cost path to implement the tunnel; if the plurality of equal cost candidate paths are identified, calculating a proposed usage of each of the equal cost candidate paths, the proposed usage of each of the equal cost candidate paths being calculated by summing respective usage counts for each inter router link of the respective equal cost candidate path, the usage count of each inter router link being calculated based on (1) a number of assigned tunnels already selected to use the inter router link and (2) a number of equal cost candidate paths which would use the inter router link if selected; selecting one of the equal cost candidate paths that has the lowest proposed usage to implement the proposed tunnel; and adding the proposed tunnel as an assigned tunnel to the model of the network, the assigned tunnel to utilize the selected one of the equal cost candidate paths.