Patent ID: 7512106

Claim:
A method for sending routing data in a packet-switched communications network, comprising the steps of: sending first routing data in a first multicast data packet from a particular network node, through one or more interfaces on the particular network node, to a plurality, of a number N, of adjacent network nodes of a packet-switched communications network, which adjacent network nodes communicate without intervening network nodes with the particular network node; determining whether different second routing data for the plurality of N adjacent network nodes is ready to be sent in a different second multicast data packet; and if it is determined that the different second routing data is ready to be sent, then performing the steps of: determining a number M of adjacent network nodes from each of which has been received through the one or more interfaces an acknowledgment message that acknowledges the first multicast data packet; determining whether M exceeds a threshold value; if it is determined that M does exceed the threshold value, then invoking a Conditional-Receive (CR) method that includes the step of sending a multicast message identifying a number L=Nâˆ’M of laggard adjacent network nodes from which acknowledgement messages have not been received, wherein the laggard adjacent network nodes ignore the different second multicast data packet; and if it is determined that M does not exceed the threshold value, then waiting to receive one or more additional acknowledgement messages that acknowledge the particular multicast data packet until M does exceed the threshold value before invoking the CR method, wherein the threshold value is greater than or equal to 1.