Abstract:
Method of establishing a route redundancy in a data transmission system using static routes, this system comprising a plurality of networks and a plurality of routers, a defined router ( 70 ) being able to use several routes to reach a destination network ( 72 ). This method comprises the steps of defining all the static routes toward the destination network, verifying for each defined static route whether the destination network is reachable resulting in a set of static routes considered as eligible to be used, defining a priority for each route of the set of static routes, and selecting the static route having the highest priority as the route to be used. A conventional static route may be used if none of these static routes is available.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to data transmission systems wherein several routes can be used to transmit data from a router to a destination network and relates particularly to a method of establishing a route redundancy in a data transmission system using static routes.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    The route redundancy used in a data transmission system including a plurality of routers operates generally with dynamic routing protocols. When a route is lost, routing updates are exchanged between the routers and a new route is found and advertised to all the routers.  
           [0003]    But route redundancy cannot be used with static routes because static routes permanently remain in the routing table of the router when the destination is no longer reachable. The only case where a static route can be dynamically modified is when the output interface goes down. In such a case, the static route is removed from the routing table and another route can be used instead. However, if a remote failure not affecting the output interface on the router occurs in the path, the router will still keep on using the static route toward the same path.  
           [0004]    In spite of this drawback, static routes are very often used by the companies (such banks) that require high security and do not want to see route information flooding over no-private links. Furthermore, static routes are still widely used in the today networks because they offer a better control of the traffic and they do not introduce any overhead on the links (no routing updates are exchanged).  
           [0005]    The private companies which require a high security are generally using firewalls for controlling traffic between sites and blocking undesirable users to come in. These firewalls usually do not allow dynamic routing for security reasons and more generally block all multicast packets used by all routing protocols. In such a case, only static routing can be used despite the drawback mentioned above.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Accordingly, the main object of the invention is to achieve a method of establishing a route redundancy in a data transmission system using static routes.  
           [0007]    The invention relates therefore to a method of establishing a route redundancy in a data transmission system using static routes and comprising a plurality of networks and a plurality of routers, a defined router being able to use several routes to reach a destination network. This method includes the steps of defining all the static routes toward the destination network, verifying for each defined static route whether the destination network is reachable resulting in a set of static routes considered as eligible to be used, defining a priority for each route of the set of static routes, and selecting the static route having the highest priority as the route to be used. This method does not exclude the configuration on a same router of conventional static routes.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reading the following more particular description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein :  
         [0009]    [0009]Fig. 1 is a flow chart representing the steps of the method according to the invention,  
         [0010]    [0010]Fig. 2 is a flow chart representing the steps of the process used to check the availability of a route,  
         [0011]    [0011]Fig. 3 is a block-diagram of a first example wherein the method according to the invention is used,  
         [0012]    [0012]Fig. 4 is block-diagram of a second example wherein the method according to the invention is used. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    The principle of the invention is to define multiple static routes toward a destination network, with different priorities (or preferences) and conditionally use them in the IP routing table of the source router. The condition is based upon the reachability of a specific destination address. As long as the destination address is reachable, the path is considered as valid and the route is eligible for the IP routing table. When the destination address is no longer reachable, the path is considered as invalid and the route is no longer eligible for the routing table.  
         [0014]    In order to allow redundancy, several static routes must be defined. In case several routes are eligible, only one can be used in the IP routing table. The priority (or preference) is used to select which one of the valid routes is selected.  
         [0015]    The destination address used as the condition is the IP address of the last router in the path, i.e. the IP address of the router interface connected to the destination network. If this router interface can be reached, it is assumed that the destination network located just behind it is reachable too. This principle can be implemented several times along a path.  
         [0016]    The checking of the reachability of a destination address is based on the ICMP Echo Request and Echo Reply messages also known as ping messages. At every predefined checking interval (e.g. 60 s), an ICMP Echo Request (ping) is sent to the destination address and the routers wait for an ICMP Echo Reply message. If such a message is received, the path is considered as reachable whereas for three consecutive ICMP Echo Requests not responded, the route is considered as lost. When a route is invalid, the router keeps on checking it every checking interval. If three consecutive Echo Requests are responded, then the route is considered back as valid. This checking based on three consecutive answers is to avoid route flapping in case of a loss of a single flapping. Note that any other protocol could be used to poll the remote router, including any new specific protocol. However, using ICMP brings an advantage in that any router supporting the ICMP Echo Request/Reply, no code change is required in the remote router.  
         [0017]    Assuming that the communication from a router to a remote network may be achieved by using two routes (there could be more than two routes), the method according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    First of all, the two specific routes to the interfaces of the remote network are defined (step  10 ). Then, two variables PINGLOST and PINGOK are set to 0 and the route  1  and  2  are set as reachable by default (step  12 ). Because the checking of the route availability is achieved every time interval of 60 s, the process is waiting during 60 s (step  14 ) before checking the availability of the route  1  (step  16 ) and of the route  2  (step  18 ) as described hereafter in reference to FIG. 2.  
         [0019]    After that, the first question is whether Route  1  is available (step  20 ). If so, the second question is to know whether Route  2  is also available (step  22 ). If the two routes are available, the process has to check which route is preferred based upon the priority (step  24 ). Assuming Route  1  is preferred, Route  1  is selected (step  26 ) whereas Route  2  is selected (step  28 ) if Route  2  is preferred.  
         [0020]    When Route  1  is not available, the question is to know whether Route  2  is available (step  30 ). If so, Route  2  is selected (step  28 ) whatever the preference is since Route  1  is not available. If Route  2  is not available the following question is to know whether there is a conventional route (step  32 ). A conventional static route is a static route as usually known without reachability checking done. Reachability checking on static routes as described here, should not be used on dial up links such as ISDN because the periodic checking would keep the line active and cause unnecessary expenses. If it is the case, this route is selected (step  34 ). If not, no route can be selected (step  36 ).  
         [0021]    Now, the steps of the process used to check the availability of a route (step  16  or step  18 ) are represented by the flow chart in FIG. 2. First, an ICMP request is sent over the route to be checked (step  40 ). Upon transmission, a timer of 2 s is started (step  42 ) and it is checked whether an ICMP ECHO Reply is received before the timer expires (step  44 ). This method allows to ignore a route which is still reachable, but with low performances.  
         [0022]    If an ICMP Echo Reply is received before the timer expires, the 2 s timer is stopped (step  46 ). The variable PINGLOST is reset to 0 and the variable PINGOK is incremented by one (step  48 ). It is then checked whether the variable PINGOK has reached the value  3  (step  50 ). If so, this means that the route has become available (step  52 ) and the variables PINGLOST and PINGOK are reset to  0  (step  54 ). If not, the route status is not changed (step  56 ).  
         [0023]    If no ICMP Echo Reply is received before the 2 s timer expires, the variable PINGLOST is incremented by  1  and the variable PINGOK is reset to 0 (step  58 ). It is then checked whether the variable PINGLOST has reached the value  3  (step  60 ). If so, this means that the route has become unavailable (step  62 ) and the variables PINGLOST and PINGOK are reset to 0 (step  64 ). If not, the route status is not changed (step  66 ).  
         [0024]    Two examples of communication systems wherein the method according to the invention can be implemented are described in reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. In the first example illustrated in FIG. 3, a router  70  needs to reach the destination network  72 . It is assumed that two conditional static routes can be configured. Route  1  is composed of network  74 , router  76 , network  78  and router  80  to reach the interface  18  network  72  the address of which is 10.10.1.1. Route  2  is composed of network  82 , router  84 , network  86  and router  88  to reach interface  2  to network  72  the address of which is 10.10.1.2.  
         [0025]    Accordingly, the condition on Route  1  is the reachability of interface 10.10.1.1. and the condition on Route  2  is the reachability of interface 10.10.1.2. In addition, a priority or preference is set on each route, for example priority  1  (route preferred) on Route  1  and priority  2  on Route  2 . This means that, if both routes are available, Route  1  will be preferred over Route  2 .  
         [0026]    The method according to the invention is implemented as follows  
         [0027]    two specific routes to destination interfaces are recorded in the routing table of router  70 . They are used to direct the ping to the right path in order to avoid a ping from reaching interface  1  via route  2  or vice-versa,  
         [0028]    the router  70  assumes that Route  1  and Route  2  are available but adds Route  1  as the preferred route in its routing table. Therefore, all traffic transmitted to network  72  goes via Route  1 ,  
         [0029]    the router  70  checks every 60 s, the availability of Route  1  and Route  2  by checking the reachability of the routes to interface  1  and to interface  2 . For this, the router sends an ICMP Echo Request (ping) to interface  1  address and an ICMP Echo Request to interface  2  address. The ping to 10.10.1.1. will use Route  1  whereas the ping 10.10.1.2. will use Route  2 . After a series of 3 successful pings, a route is considered as available is already described in reference to FIG. 2, and conversely a route is considered as unavailable after a series of 3 unsuccessful pings. Otherwise, the route remains in the same status (available if it was available, unavailable if it was unavailable),  
         [0030]    note that a ping is considered unsuccessful if the ICMP Echo Reply has not been received within 2 seconds after the Echo Request has been sent, (this allows to ignore a route reachable but experiencing performance problems).  
         [0031]    if both routes are considered as available (i.e. Pings are successful) only the preferred route (here Route  1 ) is selected in the routing table and all the traffic to network  72  keeps on using Route  1 .  
         [0032]    if Route  2  becomes unavailable but Route  1  is still available, then Route  1  is kept and nothing is modified.  
         [0033]    if Route  2  is available but Route  1  becomes unreachable, for example due to a failure of the link between the two routers  76  and  80 , then Route  1  is removed from the routing table and Route  2  is added for selection in the routing table. At that time, all the traffic to network  72  is transmitted over Route  2 .  
         [0034]    In some cases, one of the static routes goes through a dial up network such as ISDN. It is a very common configuration when a router is connected to a network via a serial line and a dial up connection such as ISDN provides the backup. Using a conditional route as defined above would cause a problem since sending a ping via this route every checking interval (60 s) would keep the dial up link up all the time, and generate unnecessary expenses.  
         [0035]    Accordingly, the solution in the above case is to use, on the leased line, a conditional static route as previously described and, on the dial-up line, the conventional static route with a least preference. Assuming that, in FIG. 3, network  82  is ISDN, Route  1  can be defined as a conditional route and Route  2  as a conventional route. Route  2  will be available all the time like a usual static route, but it will not be used until Route  1  becomes unavailable.  
         [0036]    Therefore, the method is almost the same as previously. But no pings are sent over Route  2  every 60 s. As long as Route  1  is available (i.e. pings are successful), it is kept in the routing table and all the traffic to network  72  keeps on using Route  1 . If Route  1  becomes unreachable, since Route  2  is always available, then Route  1  is removed from the routing table and Route  2  is added to the routing table. At this stage, all the traffic goes through network  82 , using the dial up link.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 4 is a block diagram representing a specific case wherein the system of FIG. 3 is included in a large system incorporated a network  90  using a routing protocol such as OSPF for dynamically determining the route to be used to reach network  72 . This is a common situation when a customer wants to connect network  90  to network  72  over a third party network (e.g. networks  74  and  82 ) where only static routes are allowed for security reasons.  
         [0038]    In such a case, router  70  will use a conditional static Route  1  or Route  2  to reach network  72  while a router  92  connected to network  90  will use a conventional static route via a dial up network  94  and a router  96  wherein the interface to network  72  has the address 10.10.1.3. Assuming that a router  98  is used to establish the route to network  72 , routers  70  and  92  will advertise their static route to router  98  using redistribution into the dynamic routing protocol OSPF. Assuming that Route  1  is preferred to route  2  (Route  1  has a higher priority than Route  2 ), router  70  will advertise route  1  to routers  98  and  92  over network  90  using OSPF. Router  92  will advertise route  3  to routers  98  and  70  over network  90  using OSPF. Router  98  will then receive  2  routes to network  70 , route  1  from router  70  and route  3  from router  92 . The OSPF cost setting on routers  70  and  92  will allow router  98  to select the proper route. We assume OSPF cost of route  3  is higher than route  1  and  2 . To summarize, when route  1  is available, it is selected; when route  1  is unavailable, route  2  is selected; when both route  1  and  2  are unavailable, route  3  is selected by router  98 . Note: This method works with any combination of N routers, using conditional or conventional static routes or both.