Patent ID: 8437259

Claim:
One or more non-transitory computer readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for altering link weights in an IP network and estimating traffic between an origin node and a destination node of the IP network, the method comprising: providing an IP network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by links, wherein the links being associated with weights, respectively, based on a volume of traffic carried thereon; monitoring the volume of traffic on routes established between the origin node and the destination node, wherein the routes comprise links that interconnect the origin node and the destination node via intermediate nodes; determining a shortest route of the routes between the origin node and the destination node over a given time period, wherein determining the shortest route comprises: (a) combining the weights measured from links forming the routes between the origin node and the destination node; (b) designating the combined link weights for the routes as respective snapshots, which are each associated with one of the routes; and (c) identifying the shortest route from the snapshots, wherein the shortest route is associated with a snapshot comprising a set of the links having a lowest value of the combined link weights; directing the traffic between the origin node and the destination node on the shortest route; identifying candidate snapshots from the snapshots comprising: (a) redirecting traffic from the shortest route to a secondary route between the origin node and the destination node; (b) upon redirecting the traffic, combining updated weights measured from the links forming the routes between the origin node and the destination node; and (c) excluding from consideration snapshots that, upon updating the link weights, fail to have a sum of link weights lower than the shortest route; and storing the identified snapshots as entries within a routing matrix.