Abstract: According to one embodiment, traffic load is redirected in reaction to traffic overload or a link failure in a packet-based network that is formed by nodes and links, packets being distributed along multiple paths to other links of an associated array of paths. The redistribution is performed autonomously by the node which is located immediately upstream of the affected link. According to a further development of the method, nodes that are located upstream of the concerned node are notified and are made to perform a redistribution that relieves the concerned node if the array of paths is not made overload-free by the redistribution performed by the node. A mechanism that protects against overload and failures and reacts in a significantly more flexible and less error-prone manner than networks having a central control body due to the nodes being autonomous is provided.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, traffic load is redirected in reaction to traffic overload or a link failure in a packet-based network that is formed by nodes and links, packets being distributed along multiple paths to other links of an associated array of paths. The redistribution is performed autonomously by the node which is located immediately upstream of the affected link. According to a further development of the method, nodes that are located upstream of the concerned node are notified and are made to perform a redistribution that relieves the concerned node if the array of paths is not made overload-free by the redistribution performed by the node. A mechanism that protects against overload and failures and reacts in a significantly more flexible and less error-prone manner than networks having a central control body due to the nodes being autonomous is provided.

Abstract: An inter-domain multipath routing method, for extending multipath routing beyond the limits of packet-oriented networks or autonomous systems is provided. A traffic distribution over several links, outgoing from a packet-oriented network with multipath routing, is carried out. For the determination of alternative paths, leading to neighboring networks, the edge nodes of neighboring networks, by means of which a target can be reached, can be combined as a virtual end point. The virtual edge nodes then permit alternative paths between a starting point and the virtual end point to be determined by means of conventional methods, for example, multipath MPLS. Packets are then distributed over the paths, whereby a distribution beyond the network limit is also induced.