US Patent 9294384 Distributed service routing protocol suitable for virtual networks

A dynamic service routing protocol (DSRP) communicates messages (e.g., containing information regarding network routes and tables) across a partial-mesh network of nodes. Gateway nodes (i.e., computing devices that operate as a final sink point for a service route) are connected to edge routers (i.e., computing devices that operate as a transit for a service route) but not necessarily to other host nodes. Gateway nodes asynchronously and/or dynamically send DSRP messages for updating the router nodes' routing tables and to minimize manual route configuration.