Patent Document ID: 7764598
Application ID: 10525155
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for defining a distribution fan-out for the distribution of traffic via different paths in a packet-based communication network formed by a plurality of nodes and a plurality of connection sections for packet traffic having the same egress node, the method comprising: defining for the communication network a node arrangement comprising a plurality of distinct node classes that encompasses all of the plurality of nodes of the communication network, wherein each respective one of the distinct node classes is distinguished from one another based on a number of hops required by each node in a given class to reach the egress node; wherein the defining of the node arrangement comprises dividing all of the plurality of nodes into the plurality of distinct classes subject to satisfying a first condition and a second condition, wherein the first condition establishes for each node a path to the egress node which is measured in a minimum number of hops, and the second condition establishes no loop formation within each distinct class, the node classes are determined according to the minimum number of hops between the nodes and the egress node, whereby nodes with the same minimum number of hops belong to the same class; and routing from each node of a class at least one link to a node of a class having one fewer hop, wherein from each node of a class, a link is routed to a node of a class having wherein for at least one node of a class which is connected by a connection section to a node of the same class, at least one link between the node and a node of the same class is defined, wherein, in the case of a node which is assigned to a class and which has one outgoing link, in the event of failure of said outgoing link: for each logical link to the respective node that originates from a node having the same class as the respective node, the respective logical link is inverted, and when no link to the respective node originates from a node having the same class, all logical links to the respective node are inverted to nodes of a class having one more hop.