Patent ID: 7706281

Claim:
A network packet routing device, comprising: one or more processors; one or more network interfaces that are communicatively coupled both to the one or more processors and to a network for receiving packet flows therefrom; a computer-readable volatile or non-volatile medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: configuring in a data communication network a first node, a second node, and one or more other nodes, wherein the second node comprises at least a first interface that is addressable using at least one primary network address and a second interface that is addressable using at least one secondary network address, wherein the configuring causes network packets identifying the at least one primary network address to traverse a first network path and causes network packets identifying the at least one secondary network address to traverse a second network path that is routed physically separately from the first network path; establishing a transport layer network protocol association in the network between the first node and the second node; sending one or more data messages to the second node, wherein the data messages identify the at least one primary network address; receiving network feedback information that indicates one or more performance characteristics of the first network path; wherein the one or more performance characteristics comprise congestion on the first network path; and in response to receiving the network feedback information, automatically modifying the data messages to identify the secondary network address.