Abstract: A router configured as an autonomous system border router (ASBR) in a local autonomous system (AS), includes: (1) a control component for communicating and computing routing information, the control component running a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and peering with at least one BGP peer device in an outside autonomous system (AS) different from the local AS; and (2) a forwarding component for forwarding packets using forwarding information derived from the routing information computed by the control component, wherein the control component (i) receives reachability information for an external prefix corresponding to a device outside the local AS, and (ii) associates the external prefix, as a BGP next hop (B_NH), an abstract next hop (ANH) that identifies a set of BGP (eBGP) sessions that contains at least one eBGP session over which given external prefix has been learned, each of the at least one eBGP sessions being between the ASBR and a BGP peer device in an AS outside the AS, wherein the device located out

Abstract: A router configured as an autonomous system border router (ASBR) in a local autonomous system (AS), includes: (1) a control component for communicating and computing routing information, the control component running a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and peering with at least one BGP peer device in an outside autonomous system (AS) different from the local AS; and (2) a forwarding component for forwarding packets using forwarding information derived from the routing information computed by the control component, wherein the control component (i) receives reachability information for an external prefix corresponding to a device outside the local AS, and (ii) associates the external prefix, as a BGP next hop (B_NH), an abstract next hop (ANH) that identifies a set of BGP (eBGP) sessions that contains at least one eBGP session over which given external prefix has been learned, each of the at least one eBGP sessions being between the ASBR and a BGP peer device in an AS outside the AS, wherein the device located out

Abstract: A router configured as an autonomous system border router (ASBR) in a local autonomous system (AS), includes: (1) a control component for communicating and computing routing information, the control component running a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and peering with at least one BGP peer device in an outside autonomous system (AS) different from the local AS; and (2) a forwarding component for forwarding packets using forwarding information derived from the routing information computed by the control component, wherein the control component (i) receives reachability information for an external prefix corresponding to a device outside the local AS, and (ii) associates the external prefix, as a BGP next hop (B_NH), an abstract next hop (ANH) that identifies a set of BGP (eBGP) sessions that contains at least one eBGP session over which given external prefix has been learned, each of the at least one eBGP sessions being between the ASBR and a BGP peer device in an AS outside the AS, wherein the device located out

Abstract: The use and processing of update messages (e.g., BGP UPDATEs) that bind (e.g., MPLS) labels to address prefixes is improved such that labels are used more efficiently, and/or such that such update messages can be processed more efficiently. A distance vector control signaling protocol (e.g., BGP) peer device receives a control plane message (e.g., BGP Update) from a downstream peer device, the control plane message including (1) a network address of the downstream device as a next hop value, (2) a prefix value, and (3) at least one label associated with the prefix value. Responsive to receiving the control plane message, the peer device generates a new control plane message including (1) a network address of the peer device as a next hop value, (2) the prefix value from the control plane message, and (3) a label stack including (i) the at least one label from the control plane message, and (ii) a local label associated with the peer device.