US Patent 9184998 Distributed path update in hybrid networks

A network condition prompts a hybrid device to select a new path for a packet stream. A path update may occur in response to a change in network topology or a traffic loading condition (e.g., congestion or saturation of a link in the current path). Path selections may be made at each hybrid device in the path from a source hybrid device to a destination hybrid device. A path update procedure may be dependent upon path selection procedures that are optimized for a hybrid network in which multiple hybrid devices may be utilized for a particular path. Path update for load balancing may be dependent upon whether a packet stream is elastic or non-elastic.