ATTRIBUTE SET_ID IN BORDER GATEWAY PROTOCOL

摘要

Present disclosure relates to methods for preparing BGP update messages for transmission and processing received update messages. The methods are based on grouping path attributes common to a plurality of IP address prefixes into respective sets identified with respective set identifiers and, instead of duplicating path attributes in each BGP update message, including a respective identifier referring to a certain set of path attributes provided in an earlier BGP update message when sending subsequent update messages. Grouping of path attributes into individual sets associated with respective identifiers provides significant advantages by enabling re-use of the results of previous processing on both the sending and receiving sides associated with transmission of BGP update messages. In addition, such an approach limits the amount of information transmitted in the control plane because duplicate sets of path attributes may only be transmitted once and merely be referred to in subsequent update messages.

主权项

1. A method for processing received Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) update messages, the method comprising:
receiving a first BGP update message comprising a first identifier in addition to a first set of path attributes and an indication that the first identifier is assigned to the first set of path attributes; processing the first BGP update message by at least processing the first set of path attributes included in the first BGP update message; generating a mapping between the first identifier and an outcome of processing the first set of path attributes; receiving a second BGP update message comprising the first identifier instead of the first set of path attributes; and using the mapping for the first identifier to access and use the outcome of processing the first set of path attributes in processing the second BGP update message.