Patent ID: 7864706

Claim:
A method of operating a packet network router, the method comprising: tracking, for a given peer with which the packet network router is configured to exchange routing information, at least one metric related to the stability of the routing peer relationship between the packet network router and the peer, the at least one tracking metric comprising accumulating penalties when the peer relationship is restarted; basing a degree of the penalty on the type of event that causes the peer relationship to restart; when the accumulated penalties comprising the at least one tracked metric are compared to exceed a first threshold, preventing the peer from exchanging routing information with the packet network router; reducing the level of accumulated penalties with time, while the peer is prevented from exchanging routing information with the packet network router; and comparing the reduced level of accumulated penalties to a second threshold, and automatically inactivating the routing information exchange prevention mechanism when the reduced level of accumulated penalties meets a preset criterion with respect to the second threshold.