Patent ID: 8553562
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method implemented in a node of a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network for improved load distribution, wherein the node is one of a plurality of nodes in the MPLS network each of whish implement a common algorithm tie-breaking process to produce minimum cost shortest path trees, the node includes a topology database to store a topology of the MPLS network, wherein the topology of the MPLS network includes a plurality of nodes and links between the nodes, the method comprising the steps of: determining a first set of one or more shortest paths between each MPLS node pair in the MPLS network by executing a shortest path search algorithm on the topology of the MPLS network stored in the topology database; selecting at least a first shortest path from the first set of shortest paths for each MPLS node pair, by applying the common algorithm tie-breaking process; calculating a link utilization value for each link of the MPLS network based on the count of shortest paths selected that transit each link; determining a second set of one or more shortest paths between each MPLS node pair in the MPLS network by executing the shortest path search algorithm on the topology of the MPLS network stored in the topology database; generating a path utilization value for each shortest path in the second set of one or more shortest paths based on link utilization values corresponding to each shortest path; selecting a second shortest path from the second set of one or more shortest path on the basis of said path utilization value, wherein the selecting utilizes the common algorithm tie-breaking process when multiple shortest paths having equal path utilization values are present in the set of one or more shortest paths; and storing at least the first shortest path and the second paths for each MPLS node pair in a label information database, wherein the label information database indicates where to forward traffic incoming to the MPLS node, whereby the selection of the second subsets in light of path utilization minimizes the standard deviation of load distribution across the entire MPLS network.