Routing methods, systems, and computer program products for mapping a node-scope specific identifier

What is this patent about?

’076 is related to the field of network communications and data packet routing, specifically addressing the limitations of global address spaces in large-scale networks. As the Internet grows, traditional global IP addressing faces challenges related to address exhaustion and increasing latency. The invention provides a framework for routing data using path-based and scope-specific identifiers, moving away from the rigid distinction between names, addresses, and routes defined in early networking standards.

The underlying idea behind ’076 is the use of a node-specific identifier space, where the meaning of an address is relative to the node currently processing the packet. Instead of relying on a globally unique address that identifies a destination's location, the system uses identifiers that are specific to the scope of a particular node. This allows for a label switching forwarding paradigm where each node in a path translates or maps incoming path information into its own local context to determine the next hop, effectively treating the route itself as the address.

The claims of ’076 focus on a mechanism where a current node receives a packet containing network path information identified by a node-scope specific identifier belonging to a first node's identifier space. The current node then determines a corresponding identifier within the identifier space of a second node that identifies the same target node in the path. By mapping the identifier from the first node’s space to the second node’s space, the current node can successfully forward the data along the intended network path toward the receiving node.

In practice, this system functions by having each node along a transmission path interpret a packet header based on its own local perspective of the network topology. When a packet arrives, the current node looks at the path segment identifiers—which might be simple integers or interface labels—and uses a mapping rule to translate these into the next node's specific identifier space. This process continues hop-by-hop, where the 'address' is essentially a sequence of local instructions that guide the packet through the network fabric without requiring every node to maintain a global routing table.

This approach differentiates itself from prior art by replacing global reachability requirements with path-based protocol addresses. Traditional IP routing requires every router to know how to reach a global prefix; in contrast, the ’076 invention allows for routing based on the relationship between consecutive nodes. By using identifiers that only need to be unique within a specific node's scope, the system reduces the overhead of address management and enables more flexible, policy-driven routing that can adapt to the local topology of the network.