Abstract: A network element implementing Multiprotocol Label Switching to automatically create an optimal deterministic back-up Label Switch Path (LSP) that is maximally disjointed from a primary LSP to provide a reliable back up to the primary LSP. The network element receives a request for a generation of an LSP, determines that the request for the generation of the LSP is for the back-up LSP, locates each link of the primary LSP in a traffic engineering database, modifies each link of the primary LSP to have a link cost significantly greater than an actual link cost to discourage use of each link of the primary LSP in the back-up LSP, executes a Constrained Shortest Path First algorithm to obtain the back-up LSP, wherein the back-up LSP has a maximum disjointedness from the primary LSP due to a modified cost of each link of the primary LSP, and returns the back-up LSP.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for LDP-IGP synchronization for broadcast networks. In one embodiment of the invention, responsive to a network element bringing up an adjacency with a Designated Router of the broadcast network on a broadcast interface, that network element advertises in its Link State Advertisement (LSA) a peer-to-peer (P2P) adjacency to each member of the broadcast network that has bidirectional IGP communication with the network element instead of advertising a pseudo-node adjacency to the pseudo-node of the broadcast network. Each P2P adjacency includes a high cost to discourage use of those links for transit traffic. After LDP becomes operational with all neighbors on the broadcast interface, the network element advertises the pseudo-node adjacency instead of the P2P adjacencies. Accordingly, transit traffic is avoided through that network element until LDP is operational with all neighbors on the broadcast interface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a network element to handle LSID collisions to prevent different LSAs associated with different routes from sharing the same LSID. According to one embodiment, responsive to determining that a tentative LSID that is generated for a first route that is being added collides with an LSID that is assigned to an LSA for a second route, and that one of the first and second routes is a host route, the host route is suppressed. If the first route is the host route, suppressing includes not originating an LSA for the first route. If the second route is the host route, suppressing includes purging the LSA for the second route and not originating an LSA for the second route. Although the host route is suppressed, network reachability of the range subsuming the host route is provided through the route that is not the host route.

Abstract: A network element that has a broadcast interface to a broadcast network becoming operational determines whether at least one alternate path exists to the broadcast network. The broadcast interface is to carry traffic on a label switched path. If an alternate path exists, the broadcast interface will not be advertised to the broadcast network until label distribution protocol (LDP) is operational with all neighbors on the broadcast interface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing a constrained shortest path first (CSPF) computation is described. In one embodiment of the invention, the network element receives a request with one or more exclusion constraints or a path re-optimization request. The network element marks one or more attribute bits in a traffic engineering data structure based on the request. If an exclusion bit is set for a link, that link is skipped during CSPF computation. If a re-optimization bit is set for a link, the allocated bandwidth of the link is added to the advertised bandwidth of the link to form a re-optimization comparison value, which is used for a bandwidth comparison during path re-optimization.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing a dynamically runtime adjustable constrained shortest path first (CSPF) computation of a label switched path (LSP) is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a network element acting as a source of the LSP receives a request to compute the LSP which includes one or more traffic engineering constraints. If the request includes at least one additive constraint, the network element performs a CSPF calculation. If the request does not include an additive constraint, the network element prunes each link that does not satisfy each of the constraints, and prunes those links whose paths converge at an intermediary network element according to cost, calculates a path to the destination according to cost. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing a constrained shortest path first (CSPF) computation is described. In one embodiment of the invention, the network element receives a request with one or more exclusion constraints or a path re-optimization request. The network element marks one or more attribute bits in a traffic engineering data structure based on the request. If an exclusion bit is set for a link, that link is skipped during CSPF computation. If a re-optimization bit is set for a link, the allocated bandwidth of the link is added to the advertised bandwidth of the link to form a re-optimization comparison value, which is used for a bandwidth comparison during path re-optimization.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing link down events associated with links between adjacent nodes is described. A node receives link down events associated with a link fault protocol for a link between the node and a neighboring node. In response to receiving the link down event, the node removes a data structure associated with the neighboring node from a forwarding table associated with a routing protocol running on the node. The node reserves the data structure for speedy adjacency recovery. In addition, the node places the neighboring node in the initialize state of the routing protocol.