Route control techniques

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to techniques for route control. The techniques may include obtaining, by a routing information base (RIB) agent, a route policy for performing a route action; receiving, by the RIB agent, a route from a routing protocol; analyzing, by the RIB agent, the route using to make a determination about whether to perform the route action; and performing, by the RIB agent, the route action based on the determination. Route actions may include actions relating to route modification, route redistribution, modifications of various attributes of a route, etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A network device comprising:
 one or more storage devices that store a routing information base (RIB); and   one or more processors configured to execute a RIB agent that manages entries in the RIB, wherein the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to:
 obtain a first route to a destination from a first source; 
 obtain a second route to the destination from a second source; 
 modify the first route to obtain an updated first route; and 
 perform a route selection for the destination using the updated first route. 
   
     
     
         2 . The network device defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the first source is a first additional agent executing on the one or more processors,   the first route is obtained by the first additional agent and conveyed to the RIB agent,   the second source is a second additional agent executing on the one or more processors, and   the second route is obtained by the second additional agent and conveyed to the RIB agent.   
     
     
         3 . The network device defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 one of the first and second routes is obtained using a given routing protocol, and   the other one of the first and second routes is obtained using a scheme different than the given routing protocol.   
     
     
         4 . The network device defined in  claim 3 , wherein the other one of the first and second routes is obtained as a static route. 
     
     
         5 . The network device defined in  claim 3 , wherein the other one of the first and second routes is obtained using an additional routing protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The network device defined in  claim 5 , wherein the given routing protocol and the additional routing protocol are different protocols each selected from the group consisting of: a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol, a Routing Information Protocol (RIP), an Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol, and an Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP). 
     
     
         7 . The network device defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the one or more storage devices store a forwarding information base (FIB) that is accessed to process a network traffic data unit received at the network device, and   at least one of the first and second sources is the RIB or the FIB.   
     
     
         8 . The network device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to perform the route selection for the destination to obtain a selected route that is installed in the RIB. 
     
     
         9 . The network device defined in  claim 8 , wherein
 the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to modify the second route to obtain an updated second route, and   the route selection for the destination is performed using the updated first route and using the updated second route to obtain the selected route.   
     
     
         10 . The network device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to perform the route selection for the destination based on the updated first route to the second route to obtain a selected route that is installed in the RIB. 
     
     
         11 . The network device defined in  claim 10 , wherein
 the selected route is the updated first route, and   an additional route selection between the unmodified first route and the second route would have resulted in the second route being the selected route that is installed in the RIB.   
     
     
         12 . The network device defined in  claim 10 , wherein
 the one or more storage devices store a forwarding information base (FIB),   the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to install the selected route in the FIB, wherein the FIB is accessed to process a network traffic data unit received at the network device.   
     
     
         13 . The network device defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to obtain a routing policy, and   the first route is modified based on the routing policy to obtain the updated first route.   
     
     
         14 . A network device comprising:
 one or more storage devices that store a routing information base (RIB); and   one or more processors configured to execute a RIB agent that manages entries in the RIB, wherein the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to:
 obtain a routing policy; 
 obtain a route to a destination from a source external to the RIB agent; and 
 install a modified version of the route in the RIB based on the routing policy. 
   
     
     
         15 . The network device defined in  claim 14 , wherein the modified version of the route has a modified next-hop that is different than an existing next-hop of the route. 
     
     
         16 . The network device defined in  claim 15 , wherein the modified next-hop directs network traffic to the destination. 
     
     
         17 . The network device defined in  claim 15 , wherein the modified next-hop directs network traffic to a security analysis device or a firewall. 
     
     
         18 . The network device defined in  claim 14 , wherein the source external to the RIB agent is a protocol agent executing on the one or more processors, a static route agent executing on the one or more processors, the RIB, or a forwarding information base (FIB) stored on the one or more storage devices. 
     
     
         19 . A network device comprising:
 one or more storage devices that store a routing information base (RIB); and   one or more processors configured to execute a RIB agent that manages entries in the RIB, wherein the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to:
 obtain a routing policy for performing a route action; 
 receive a route to a destination from a source external to the RIB agent; and 
 perform the route action on the received route based on the routing policy. 
   
     
     
         20 . The network device defined in  claim 19 , wherein
 the source generates the route based on a first routing protocol, and   the RIB agent, when executing on the one or more processors, is configured to perform the route action on the received route by permitting redistribution of the route to an additional source external to the RIB agent that operates using a second routing protocol.