Patent ID: 7769885

Claim:
For use with a node, a method comprising: a) receiving, using the node, an aggregated message including, for a first set of at least two different kinds of routing protocols of a neighbor node, at least two indicators, each indicator identifying a different one of the at least two different kinds of routing protocols and corresponding status information for each of the protocols of the first set of the at least two different kinds of routing protocols as data within the aggregated message; and b) updating, using the node, neighbor node protocol status information using the aggregated message, wherein the act of updating neighbor node routing protocol status information includes i) determining, using the node, whether the first set of at least two routing protocols is the same as a second set of at least two routing protocols included in an earlier message, ii) if the first set of at least two routing protocols is determined to be the same as the second set of at least two routing protocols, then for each of the at least two routing protocols of both the first and second sets having a changed status, informing, using the node, a locally running instance of the routing protocol of the changed status of its peer routing protocol of the neighbor node, and iii) if the first set of at least two routing protocols is determined to be different from the second set of at least two routing protocols, then A) for any routing protocol in the first set but not in the second set, informing, using the node, a locally running instance of the routing protocol of the status indicated in the aggregated message of its peer routing protocol of the neighbor node, and B) for any routing protocol in the second set but not in the first set, informing, using the node, a locally running instance of the routing protocol that the status of its peer routing protocol of the neighbor node is down.