Patent ID: 7634554
Filing Date: 2009-12-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for allowing a router to efficiently determine a time-to-live (TTL) configuration of a peer router in a computer network, the method comprising the steps of: automatically determining which TTL mode of operation the peer router supports by sending an initial Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) message from the router to the peer router, the initial BGP message including a first predetermined value of a TTL parameter; if the router receives a positive acknowledgement of the initial BGP message from the peer router, determining that the peer router supports exchanges of messages using a new TTL mode of operation; and if the router receives a negative acknowledgement of the initial BGP message from the peer router, deciding that the peer router does not support the new TTL mode of operation, and switching to an old TTL mode of operation by resending the initial BGP message with a second predetermined value of the TTL parameter, and subsequently,