Patent ID: 8611251

Claim:
A method of distributing traffic in a packet network system, comprising: receiving, by a first packet network device of a plurality of packet network devices in a packet network system, information from each of the other packet network devices in the packet network system and using that information to calculate a plurality of paths over which to forward traffic flows; using, by the first packet network device, the received information to identify two or more equal cost paths over which to forward traffic flows and to calculate a bandwidth available on each of the two or more equal cost paths; determining, by the first packet network device using the calculated bandwidth available on each of the two or more equal cost paths, that the first equal cost path of the two or more equal cost paths is under-utilized; programming a forwarding table in the first packet network device to forward higher priority traffic flows over the first equal cost path before forwarding lower priority traffic flows over the first equal cost path, wherein the programming the forwarding table includes, for each traffic flow: identifying a plurality of equal cost multi-paths (ECMPs) for that traffic flow; determining a total ECMP bandwidth for that traffic flow; determining a pre-redistribution percentage of the total ECMP bandwidth attributable to each of the plurality of ECMPs; and determining a redistribution of that traffic flow across the plurality of ECMPs, wherein each ECMP is provided a redistributed percentage of that traffic flow that is based on the pre-redistribution percentage of the total ECMP bandwidth attributable to that ECMP and the maximum number of ECMPs that the forwarding table can support; receiving a first traffic flow and prioritizing the first traffic flow higher than at least one second traffic flow based on a first bandwidth needed to support the first traffic flow relative to a second bandwidth needed to support the at least one second traffic flow; and forwarding the first traffic flow over the first equal cost path before forwarding the at least one second traffic flow over the first equal cost path according to the forwarding table.