Patent ID: 8976672
Filing Date: 2015-03-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A node for efficiently decoupling reservation and data forwarding of data flows in a computer network, the node comprising: one or more network interfaces; a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and adapted to execute software processes; a memory adapted to store a reservation process executable by the processor, the reservation process configured to select a reserved path for a data flow that passes data from a source node to a destination node, and place a reservation for the data flow on the selected reserved path, the selected reserved path for the data flow to have adequate reservation availability for the data flow; and the memory further adapted to store a forwarding process executable by the processor, the forwarding process configured to select, based on a directed acyclic graph adapted for determining acyclic paths available to reach the destination node, a forwarded path other than the selected reserved path for the data flow for transferring data from the source node to the destination node, forward data for the data flow over the selected forwarded path while maintaining the reservation for the data flow upon the selected reserved path, determine whether a load availability for the selected forwarded path is above a threshold, and if so, increase a first proportion of data flows forwarded over the selected forwarded path and decrease a second proportion of data flows transmitted over the selected reserved path, the selected forwarded path being a non-shortest path between the source node and the destination node and having adequate load availability for the data flow, wherein selection of the selected forwarded path is decoupled from the selected reserved path for the data flow such that the selected forwarded path is selected independently from the selected reserved path.