Patent ID: 7711852

Claim:
A method comprising: executing, by an Internet Protocol (IP) based router, a declaration command stored in a configuration file stored in the router and that specifies an address prefix identifier and at least one of an address prefix value associated with the address prefix identifier or a source for the address prefix value, the address prefix identifier a non-numeric representation of an address prefix required as an operand in at least one stored router command in the configuration file, the executing of the declaration command further including storing in the router the address prefix value into a prescribed storage location that is assigned to the address prefix identifier; parsing, by the router, a router command stored within the configuration file of the router and that specifies the address prefix identifier; retrieving by the router the address prefix value for the address prefix identifier from the prescribed storage location assigned to the address prefix identifier; and executing the router command within the router based on applying the address prefix value retrieved from the prescribed storage location as the operand in the router command.