TRAFFIC ENGINEERING FOR BIT INDEXED EXPLICIT REPLICATION

摘要

Methods and network devices are disclosed for traffic-engineered forwarding through a new form of bit indexed explicit replication. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a first node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, and comparing bit values at one or more bit positions in the message bit array to one or more entries in a forwarding table stored at the first node. The one or more bit positions correspond in this embodiment to links in the network. This embodiment of the method further includes forwarding the message over a link represented in the forwarding table if a result of the comparing indicates that the link is included in a path to be taken by the message. In a further embodiment of the method, the message is a multicast message and forwarding the message comprises forwarding a replica of the multicast message.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
determining a path through a network to be taken by a message, wherein the message is adapted to carry a message bit array; assigning a bit position within the message bit array as corresponding to a network link within the path; and communicating the correspondence between the network link and its assigned bit position to a network node along the path, wherein the network node is connected to the network link.