Patent ID: 8325730
Filing Date: 2012-12-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for routing packets comprising: a router management device for associating destination address information to a router hierarchy comprising a plurality of levels, wherein the router management device is configured to, for each level of the router hierarchy, dynamically assign one or more router devices to a portion of incoming packets based at least in part on traffic volume associated with one or more destination addresses of the incoming packets; one or more router devices corresponding to a first level of the router hierarchy; one or more router devices corresponding to a second level of the router hierarchy, the second level of the router hierarchy for processing an incoming packet for routing received from at least one of the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of a router hierarchy, wherein the one or more router devices corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy are associated with a first memory and a second memory for storing destination address information, the first memory associated with a faster access time than the second memory, wherein the router management device allocates a portion of incoming packets to each router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy based at least in part on a first subset of destination addresses of incoming packets; and one or more router devices corresponding to a third level of the router hierarchy, the third level of the router hierarchy for processing an incoming packet for routing received from at least one of the one or more router devices corresponding to the second level of a router hierarchy, wherein the router management device allocates a portion of incoming packets to each router device corresponding to the third level based at least in part on a second subset of destination addresses of incoming wherein the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of a router hierarchy receive, for routing, an incoming packet comprising a destination address, and identify at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy based on at least in part a first subset of the destination address of the incoming packet, wherein the at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy identifies at least one router device corresponding to the third level of the router hierarchy based at least in part on a second subset of the destination address of the incoming packet, and wherein the second subset of the destination address is greater than the first subset of the destination address; and wherein the at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy attempts to identify the at least one router device corresponding to the third level of the router hierarchy from address information persisted in the first memory and, if the address information is not available in the first memory, the at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy attempts to identify the one or more router devices from address information persisted in the second memory.