US Patent 10218629 Moving packet flows between network paths

In one example, a network device is configured as a leaf node of an interconnected topology that defines a plurality of network paths from the network device to each of a plurality of other leaf nodes of the interconnected topology. The network device includes one or more processing units configured to forward a first packet of a packet flow along a first network path of the plurality of network paths, after receiving a second packet of the packet flow, determine an inactivity interval for the packet flow that represents an amount of time between receipt of the first packet and receipt of the second packet, compare the inactivity interval to a threshold, and when the inactivity interval is greater than the threshold, forward the second packet along a second network path of the plurality of network paths, wherein the second network path is different than the first network path.