Patent ID: 8379513

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a network element comprising one or more processors, a request to switch a designation of an active Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) speaker of the network element from a first BGP speaker of the network element to a second BGP speaker of the network element, wherein the active BGP speaker processes all BGP messages received at the network element; in the network element, in response to receiving the request, the active BGP speaker pausing operation of a transport-layer protocol for BGP to the network element without terminating an associated transport-layer protocol connection; synchronizing a second routing information base (RIB), maintained by the second BGP speaker to a first RIB by transferring routing data, which describes a state of the first RIB, from the first BGP speaker to the second BGP speaker; wherein synchronizing the second RIB comprises: prior to receiving the request, transferring first data that identifies a first portion of routes in the first routing information base (RIB) to the second BGP speaker when the first BGP speaker has available processing resources which are not otherwise utilized; after receiving the request, transferring second data that identifies all remaining routes, in the first routing information base (RIB) that are not identified in the first data, to the second BGP speaker in a BGP peering session; instructing the second BGP speaker to become the active BGP speaker; after the second BGP speaker becomes the active BGP speaker, resuming operation of the transport-layer protocol to the network element.