Abstract: A ring node N belonging to a resilient MPLS ring (RMR) provisions and/or configures clockwise (CW) and anti-clockwise (AC) paths on the RMR by: (a) configuring two ring node segment identifiers (Ring-SIDs) on the ring node, wherein a first of the two Ring-SIDs (CW-Ring-SID) is to reach N in a clockwise direction on the ring and a second of the two Ring-SIDs (AC-Ring-SID) is to reach N in an anti-clockwise direction on the ring, and wherein the CW-Ring-SID and AC-Ring-SID are unique within a source packet routing in networking (SPRING) domain including the ring; (b) generating a message including the ring node's CW-Ring-SID and AC-Ring-SID; and (c) advertising the message, via an interior gateway protocol, for receipt by other ring nodes belonging to the ring such that (1) a clockwise multipoint-to-point path (CWP) is defined such that every other one of the ring nodes belonging to the ring can be an ingress for the CWP and such that only the node is an egress for the CWP, and (2) an anti-clockwise multipoint-

Abstract: A network device may receive a message. The network device may determine that the message includes return information indicating a path to an initial device that generated the message. The network device may modify the message by adding an upstream device identifier, wherein the upstream device identifier identifies a device from which the message is received. The network device may modify the message by adding an indication of whether the initial device is reachable by the network device using a segment identifier. The network device may provide the modified message to a downstream device.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) identifying a route installed in a Forwarding Information Base (FIB) of a network device included in a network, (2) identifying a plurality of active paths that lead from the network device to a destination device of the route installed in the FIB, (3) determining a load distribution of the plurality of active paths by calculating a plurality of traffic loads that represent amounts of traffic that traverse from the network device to the destination device via the plurality of active paths, and (4) making a trafficking decision in connection with the plurality of active paths based at least in part on the load distribution of the plurality of active paths. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A ring node N belonging to a resilient MPLS ring (RMR) provisions and/or configures clockwise (CW) and anti-clockwise (AC) paths on the RMR by: (a) configuring two ring node segment identifiers (Ring-SIDs) on the ring node, wherein a first of the two Ring-SIDs (CW-Ring-SID) is to reach N in a clockwise direction on the ring and a second of the two Ring-SIDs (AC-Ring-SID) is to reach N in an anti-clockwise direction on the ring, and wherein the CW-Ring-SID and AC-Ring-SID are unique within a source packet routing in networking (SPRING) domain including the ring; (b) generating a message including the ring node's CW-Ring-SID and AC-Ring-SID; and (c) advertising the message, via an interior gateway protocol, for receipt by other ring nodes belonging to the ring such that (1) a clockwise multipoint-to-point path (CWP) is defined such that every other one of the ring nodes belonging to the ring can be an ingress for the CWP and such that only the node is an egress for the CWP, and (2) an anti-clockwise multipoint-

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) generating a test packet that includes an inner packet encapsulated within an outer packet, (2) adding, to the test packet, an amount of padding data that increases a total size of the test packet to a certain threshold, (3) forwarding, via a transport layer protocol, the test packet along a network path that leads from a source node to a destination node by way of a tunnel, (4) receiving the inner packet from the destination node after the destination node extracts the inner packet from the test packet, and (5) determining, based at least in part on receiving the inner packet from the destination node, that a maximum transmission unit of the network path is greater than or equal to the total size of the test packet as increased by the amount of padding data. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A network device may receive a message. The network device may determine that the message includes return information indicating a path to an initial device that generated the message. The network device may modify the message by adding an upstream device identifier, wherein the upstream device identifier identifies a device from which the message is received. The network device may modify the message by adding an indication of whether the initial device is reachable by the network device using a segment identifier. The network device may provide the modified message to a downstream device.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) identifying a route installed in a Forwarding Information Base (FIB) of a network device included in a network, (2) identifying a plurality of active paths that lead from the network device to a destination device of the route installed in the FIB, (3) determining a load distribution of the plurality of active paths by calculating a plurality of traffic loads that represent amounts of traffic that traverse from the network device to the destination device via the plurality of active paths, and (4) making a trafficking decision in connection with the plurality of active paths based at least in part on the load distribution of the plurality of active paths. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) receiving, at a proxy node within a network, an echo request from a probing node within the network, (2) identifying, within the echo request, a type of probe to be performed in connection with the echo request, (3) determining, based at least in part on the type of probe identified within the echo request, that a proxy interface included on the proxy node is to probe a status of a virtual interface partitioned on a physical interface, (4) probing, via the proxy interface, the status of the virtual interface partitioned on the physical interface by way of a virtual function index assigned to the virtual interface, and then (5) sending, to the probing node, an echo reply that identifies the status of the virtual interface partitioned on the physical interface. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A ring node N belonging to a resilient MPLS ring (RMR) provisions and/or configures clockwise (CW) and anti-clockwise (AC) paths on the RMR by: (a) configuring two ring node segment identifiers (Ring-SIDs) on the ring node, wherein a first of the two Ring-SIDs (CW-Ring-SID) is to reach N in a clockwise direction on the ring and a second of the two Ring-SIDs (AC- Ring-SID) is to reach N in an anti-clockwise direction on the ring, and wherein the CW-Ring-SID and AC- Ring-SID are unique within a source packet routing in networking (SPRING) domain including the ring; (b) generating a message including the ring node's CW-Ring-SID and AC-Ring-SID; and (c) advertising the message, via an interior gateway protocol, for receipt by other ring nodes belonging to the ring such that (1) a clockwise multipoint-to-point path (CWP) is defined such that every other one of the ring nodes belonging to the ring can be an ingress for the CWP and such that only the node is an egress for the CWP, and (2) an anti-clockwise multipoin

Abstract: A node may receive a network topology message that identifies a first association of a first segment identifier (SID), relating to a loosely routed segment of a network, and an address of a first terminal interface associated with the loosely routed segment, or a second association of a second SID, relating to a strictly routed segment of the network, and an address of a second terminal interface associated with the strictly routed segment. The node may generate an entry in a segment translation table based on the first association or the second association. The node may route, according to the segment translation table, an internet protocol (IP) payload packet that has been encapsulated using an IPv6 transport header that has been extended with a compressed routing header of variable length.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, at a source node, a request to discover a plurality of network paths that each lead from the source node to a destination node and (2) discovering the plurality of network paths by (A) identifying each next hop between the source node and the destination node, (B) sending, from the source node to each next hop, a path-request probe that prompts the next hop to (i) determine each next-closest hop and (ii) return, to the source node, a path-response probe that identifies the next-closest hops, (C) receiving the path-response probes from the next hops, (D) determining, at the source node based on the path-response probes, that one or more of the plurality of network paths include the next hops and the next-closest hops, and then (E) iteratively discovering any subsequent hops by sending a subsequent path-request probe to each next-closest hop.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, at a source node, a request to discover a plurality of network paths that each lead from the source node to a destination node and (2) discovering the plurality of network paths by (A) identifying each next hop between the source node and the destination node, (B) sending, from the source node to each next hop, a path-request probe that prompts the next hop to (i) determine each next-closest hop and (ii) return, to the source node, a path-response probe that identifies the next-closest hops, (C) receiving the path-response probes from the next hops, (D) determining, at the source node based on the path-response probes, that one or more of the plurality of network paths include the next hops and the next-closest hops, and then (E) iteratively discovering any subsequent hops by sending a subsequent path-request probe to each next-closest hop.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) receiving, at a proxy node within a network, an echo request from a probing node within the network, (2) identifying, within the echo request, a type of probe to be performed in connection with the echo request, (3) determining, based at least in part on the type of probe identified within the echo request, that a proxy interface included on the proxy node is to probe a status of a virtual interface partitioned on a physical interface, (4) probing, via the proxy interface, the status of the virtual interface partitioned on the physical interface by way of a virtual function index assigned to the virtual interface, and then (5) sending, to the probing node, an echo reply that identifies the status of the virtual interface partitioned on the physical interface. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, at a source node, a request to discover a plurality of network paths that each lead from the source node to a destination node and (2) discovering the plurality of network paths by (A) identifying each next hop between the source node and the destination node, (B) sending, from the source node to each next hop, a path-request probe that prompts the next hop to (i) determine each next-closest hop and (ii) return, to the source node, a path-response probe that identifies the next-closest hops, (C) receiving the path-response probes from the next hops, (D) determining, at the source node based on the path-response probes, that one or more of the plurality of network paths include the next hops and the next-closest hops, and then (E) iteratively discovering any subsequent hops by sending a subsequent path-request probe to each next-closest hop.

Abstract: The disclosed method may include (1) receiving, at a network node within a network, a keepalive message of a routing protocol from a neighbor of the network node, (2) determining that the keepalive message of the routing protocol serves as evidence that the neighbor of the network node is currently reachable via a link within the network, (3) identifying a neighbor cache that includes entries for neighbors of the network node within the network, and then (4) refreshing an entry for the neighbor within the neighbor cache to avoid initiation of a reachability confirmation process directed to the neighbor due at least in part to the keepalive message of the routing protocol serving as evidence that the neighbor of the network node is currently reachable via the link. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method for forwarding network traffic using minimal Forwarding Information Bases (FIBS) may include (1) identifying a Routing Information Base (RIB) that includes a set of routes that define paths to destinations both inside and outside a network and then (2) creating a FIB that includes a subset of active routes whose size is below a size threshold by (A) importing, from the set of routes within the RIB, (I) internal routes that define paths to destinations inside the network, (II) high-traffic external routes that define paths to destinations outside the network, and (III) a default route that defines a path to a default node that facilitates resolution of traffic that does not match any of the internal or high-traffic external routes and (B) excluding, from the FIB, low-traffic external routes that define paths to destinations outside the network. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method for forwarding network traffic using minimal Forwarding Information Bases (FIBS) may include (1) identifying a Routing Information Base (RIB) that includes a set of routes that define paths to destinations both inside and outside a network and then (2) creating a FIB that includes a subset of active routes whose size is below a size threshold by (A) importing, from the set of routes within the RIB, (I) internal routes that define paths to destinations inside the network, (II) high-traffic external routes that define paths to destinations outside the network, and (III) a default route that defines a path to a default node that facilitates resolution of traffic that does not match any of the internal or high-traffic external routes and (B) excluding, from the FIB, low-traffic external routes that define paths to destinations outside the network. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed.