Patent ID: 7715382
Filing Date: 2010-05-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network and router architecture, comprising: a route controller component comprising a plurality of control elements (CEs); and a transport and packet forwarding component that is separate from the route controller, wherein the transport and packet forwarding component comprises a plurality of forwarding elements (FEs); wherein a discovery protocol enables each of the FEs of the transport and packet forwarding component to discover at least one CE of the route controller component, wherein each FE that is one hop away from a CE discovers the CE by listening to a status broadcast message from the CE, wherein each FE that receives a status broadcast message from a CE propagates the broadcast message to its neighbors, wherein each propagated broadcast message includes a source-route to the CE from which the broadcast message originated, wherein each FE selects one of the discovered CEs based on the source-route information associated with the CEs; wherein a binding protocol binds the route controller component to the hardware-based transport and packet forwarding component; wherein each FE of the transport and packet forwarding component is dynamically bound to the selected one of the CEs discovered by the FE using the discovery protocol; wherein, once binding is established, the route controller component communicates with the hardware-based transport and packet forwarding component via a control protocol.