A method, a device, and a storage medium provide for storing an extended forwarding information base that includes path values that indicate paths to route traffic, wherein the paths include optimal and sub-optimal paths based on a shortest path metric; receiving a traffic flow; inspecting the traffic flow; selecting a next hop and one of the path values associated with the next hop based on the inspecting; identifying one or more paths to route the traffic flow in accordance with one or more paths indicated by the one of the path values; and transmitting the traffic flow along the one or more paths toward a destination.