Intelligent dhcp relay system and method based on dynamic network topology awareness

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of intelligent DHCP relay system and method based on dynamic network topology perception, system includes: network detection module, configured to send probe packet to multiple DHCP servers, based on the response information of probe packet, obtain the network performance index of each DHCP server between forwarding path;Quality of service evaluation module is configured to receive the network performance index from network detection module, based on network performance index, the comprehensive score of each forwarding path is calculated, and the quality of service map is updated according to comprehensive score, wherein the quality of service map is used to store forwarding path and corresponding quality of service index;Routing decision module is configured to query the updated quality of service map in real time, based on comprehensive score, obtain optimal path, and encapsulate DHCP request message of DHCP client based on optimal path and forward to corresponding DHCP server.The embodiment of the application can reduce request delay through dynamic path selection, improve success rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an intelligent DHCP relay system and method based on dynamic network topology awareness. Background Technology

[0002] In TCP / IP networks, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is used to automatically assign IP addresses to client devices. When the client and the DHCP server are not in the same broadcast domain, a DHCP relay agent must be used to forward requests and responses.

[0003] Traditional DHCP relay functionality is typically implemented by routers or Layer 3 switches. Its working principle involves encapsulating received DHCP requests and forwarding them to a pre-configured DHCP server. This process relies on statically configured forwarding rules and does not involve any network state awareness or path optimization mechanisms.

[0004] In existing technologies, some solutions statically control DHCP relay forwarding paths through ACLs (Access Control Lists) or routing policies, or achieve centralized management under the SDN (Software Defined Network) architecture. However, none of them introduce a mechanism to perceive real-time network conditions such as link latency, packet loss rate, and server load, and thus cannot achieve dynamic path selection and fault self-healing based on Quality of Service (QoS). Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an intelligent DHCP relay system and method based on dynamic network topology awareness, so as to solve the technical problem of low efficiency in existing IP address allocation. The various technical effects of the preferred technical solutions provided in this application are detailed below.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions: The first aspect of this application provides an intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness. This system is used to forward DHCP requests from DHCP clients to DHCP servers. It includes: a network detection module configured to send probe packets to multiple DHCP servers and, based on the response information of the probe packets, obtain network performance indicators of the forwarding paths between the DHCP servers, wherein the network performance indicators include at least round-trip time, packet loss rate, and response processing time; a quality of service (QoS) assessment module configured to receive the network performance indicators from the network detection module, calculate a comprehensive score for each forwarding path based on the network performance indicators, and update a QoS map based on the comprehensive score, wherein the QoS map stores the forwarding paths and their corresponding QoS indicators; and a routing decision module configured to query the updated QoS map in real time, obtain the optimal path based on the comprehensive score, and encapsulate and forward the DHCP request message from the DHCP client to the corresponding DHCP server based on the optimal path.

[0007] In some embodiments, the network detection module sends the detection packets to all configured DHCP server addresses and relay exit interfaces based on a first preset time interval.

[0008] In some embodiments, the quality of service metrics include at least the server IP, next-hop address, round-trip latency, packet loss rate, server load, overall score, last update timestamp, and path status.

[0009] In some embodiments, the formula for calculating the overall score is as follows: Score = w1·(1 / RTT) + w2·(1−Packet_Loss) + w3·(1−Server_Load), Where w1, w2, and w3 are weighting coefficients, RTT is the round-trip time, Packet_Loss is the packet loss rate, and Server_Load is the normalized value of the server load.

[0010] In some embodiments, the service quality assessment module performs a full refresh of the service quality map based on a second preset time interval, or performs an incremental update of the service quality map when a network event is triggered.

[0011] In some embodiments, the routing decision module is further configured to compare multiple forwarding paths, and if the difference between the comprehensive scores of the multiple forwarding paths is less than a preset percentage, the routing decision module enables round-robin load balancing.

[0012] In some embodiments, the routing decision module is further configured to determine the forwarding path with the highest comprehensive score. If the forwarding path with the highest comprehensive score is in a cooling-off period, the routing decision module automatically selects another forwarding path.

[0013] In some embodiments, the intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness further includes a fault switching module, which is configured to monitor the forwarding results of DHCP request messages of the routing decision module, and switch the optimal path that does not meet the preset conditions to the suboptimal path according to the forwarding results, wherein the comprehensive score of the suboptimal path is lower than the comprehensive score of the optimal path.

[0014] In some embodiments, the intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness further includes a control interface module, which is configured to interact with an external SDN controller through a programming interface, receive control policies, and report local status.

[0015] A second aspect of this application provides a dynamic network topology-aware intelligent DHCP relay method, which is applied to the dynamic network topology-aware intelligent DHCP relay system described above. The method includes: sending probe packets to multiple DHCP servers; obtaining network performance indicators of the forwarding paths between the DHCP servers based on the response information of the probe packets; the network performance indicators including at least round-trip time, packet loss rate, and response processing time; calculating a comprehensive score for each forwarding path based on the network performance indicators; updating a service quality map based on the comprehensive score; wherein the service quality map stores the forwarding paths and their corresponding service quality indicators; querying the updated service quality map in real time; obtaining the optimal path based on the comprehensive score; and encapsulating and forwarding the DHCP request message from the DHCP client to the corresponding DHCP server based on the optimal path.

[0016] Implementing one of the above-mentioned technical solutions of this application has the following advantages or beneficial effects: In this application, the network status is detected in real time by the network detection module, and a service quality map is constructed based on the network status to realize dynamic path selection. At the same time, the service quality assessment module comprehensively evaluates the path quality and updates the service quality map. Finally, the routing decision module obtains the optimal path from the updated service quality map and forwards the DHCP request message.

[0017] In this context, the embodiments of this application can reduce request latency and improve success rate through dynamic path selection. Through the collaborative work of various modules, the embodiments of this application can achieve intelligent, adaptive, and highly available DHCP relay services in complex network environments, significantly improving IP address allocation efficiency and network service quality. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of an intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness; 10. Network detection module; 20. Quality of service assessment module; 30. Routing decision module; 40. Fault switching module; 50. Control interface module. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, various exemplary embodiments described below will be referenced to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the exemplary embodiments and depict various exemplary embodiments that may be adopted to implement this application. Unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. It should be understood that they are merely examples of processes, methods, and apparatuses consistent with some aspects of this application disclosed as detailed in the appended claims, and other embodiments may be used, or structural and functional modifications may be made to the embodiments listed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this application.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. The terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. The term "multiple" means two or more. The terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can be fixed connections, detachable connections, integral connections, mechanical connections, electrical connections, communication connections, direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, and can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. The term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] To illustrate the technical solutions described in this application, specific embodiments are provided below, showing only the parts related to the embodiments of this application.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, this application provides an intelligent DHCP relay system 1 based on dynamic network topology awareness, used to forward DHCP requests from DHCP clients to a DHCP server, including: The network detection module 10 can be configured to send probe packets to multiple DHCP servers and obtain network performance indicators of the forwarding path between each DHCP server based on the response information of the probe packets. The network performance indicators include at least round-trip time, packet loss rate and response processing time.

[0024] Specifically, the response information of the probe packet can refer to the response information returned by the DHCP server to the network probing model after the probe packet is sent to the DHCP server. The response information can include various network status information obtained from the interaction between the network probing model and the DHCP server. The network probing module 10 can obtain the network performance indicators of the corresponding forwarding path based on the response information. The network probing module 10 can receive multiple response messages from different DHCP servers or multiple response messages from the same DHCP server.

[0025] The network detection module 10 can provide data support for the subsequent service quality assessment module 20 and routing decision module 30.

[0026] In some embodiments, the network detection module 10 can send probe packets to all configured DHCP server addresses and relay egress interfaces based on a first preset time interval. The first preset time interval can be from 1 second to 60 seconds, and the probe packets can be ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) Echo messages or custom UDP heartbeat packets, etc.

[0027] In some embodiments, the network detection module 10 can also directly collect network status information or network performance indicators. Specifically, during the actual forwarding of DHCP requests / responses, the network detection module 10 can collect real-time business flow data such as end-to-end forwarding latency, request success rate, and server response time.

[0028] In some embodiments, the detection parameters of the network detection module 10 can be dynamically adjusted, including detection frequency, timeout threshold, or number of retries. This allows it to adapt to different network environments.

[0029] The service quality assessment module 20 can be configured to receive network performance indicators from the network detection module 10, calculate a comprehensive score for each forwarding path based on the network performance indicators, and update the service quality map according to the comprehensive score. The service quality map is used to store forwarding paths and their corresponding service quality indicators.

[0030] Specifically, the Quality of Service (QoS) Map is an in-memory table, also known as a dynamic path evaluation table in memory, used to store the forwarding paths of all reachable DHCP servers and their QoS metrics.

[0031] In some embodiments, the quality of service metrics include at least the server IP, next-hop address, round-trip time, packet loss rate, server load, overall score, last update timestamp, and path status. The table structure can be {Server_IP, Next_Hop, RTT, Packet_Loss, Server_Load, Score, Last_Update_Time, Status}. Specifically, the server IP can refer to the target DHCP server IP address, server load includes CPU utilization and response latency, and path status can include Active, Degraded, and Failed.

[0032] In some embodiments, the formula for calculating the overall score is as follows: Score = w1·(1 / RTT) + w2·(1−Packet_Loss) + w3·(1−Server_Load), Among them, w1, w2, and w3 are weighting coefficients that can be dynamically adjusted through configuration files or the SDN controller to satisfy w1+w2+w3=1. They can be dynamically configured according to network policies; for example, w2 can be increased for high-reliability networks, while w1 can be increased for low-latency networks. RTT is round-trip time, used to reflect link response speed. Packet_Loss is packet loss rate, with a value ranging from 0 to 1, used to reflect link reliability. Server_Load is the normalized value of server load, with a value ranging from 0 to 1, which can be obtained through response time or external monitoring.

[0033] In some embodiments, each forwarding path can correspond to a logical path from a relay agent to a DHCP server, which can be via different exit interfaces or next hops.

[0034] In some embodiments, the service quality assessment module 20 may perform a full refresh of the service quality map based on a second preset time interval, or perform an incremental update of the service quality map when a network event is triggered, such as a sudden increase in packet loss.

[0035] In some embodiments, the configuration of the service quality map can include local configuration files, command-line interface (CLI), and centralized configuration via the SDN controller. Specifically, a local configuration file may define server lists, probe parameters, weight coefficients, and switchover thresholds; a command-line interface may allow operations personnel to dynamically adjust parameters; and centralized configuration via the SDN controller may involve issuing global policies through an API (Application Programming Interface). After the configuration takes effect, the service quality map is automatically rebuilt and routing policies are adjusted.

[0036] The routing decision module 30 can be configured to query the updated service quality map in real time, obtain the optimal path based on the comprehensive score, and encapsulate the DHCP request message of the DHCP client and forward it to the corresponding DHCP server based on the optimal path.

[0037] By constructing a service quality assessment module 20 and a routing decision module 30, the optimal path is intelligently selected among multiple reachable DHCP servers, thereby ensuring high availability, low latency, and load balancing in the IP address allocation process. The routing decision module 30 can select the forwarding path with the highest overall score as the optimal path.

[0038] In some embodiments, the routing decision module 30 can also be configured to compare multiple forwarding paths. If the difference between the overall scores of the multiple forwarding paths is less than a preset percentage, the routing decision module 30 enables round-robin load balancing. That is, multiple forwarding paths can be cycled in a fixed order to distribute network pressure. This allows for the reasonable allocation of request traffic among multiple DHCP servers, achieving load balancing. In some embodiments, the preset percentage can be 4% to 6%.

[0039] In other embodiments, the routing decision module 30 can also be configured to determine the forwarding path with the highest overall score. If the forwarding path with the highest overall score is in a cooling-off period, the routing decision module 30 automatically selects another forwarding path. Specifically, if the forwarding path with the highest overall score is in a cooling-off period, i.e., has just undergone a switch, a forwarding path with the second-best overall score can be selected to avoid oscillations. By switching forwarding paths, single points of failure can be avoided, thereby enhancing the reliability of the system.

[0040] In some embodiments, the intelligent DHCP relay system 1 based on dynamic network topology awareness may further include a fault switching module 40, which is configured to monitor the forwarding results of DHCP request messages of the routing decision module 30, and switch the optimal path that does not meet the preset conditions to the suboptimal path according to the forwarding results. The comprehensive score of the suboptimal path is lower than the comprehensive score of the optimal path.

[0041] Specifically, the preset condition can refer to receiving a response within a preset number of times and / or a preset threshold time. The preset number of times can be 1 to 5 times, and the preset threshold time can be 100 milliseconds to 300 milliseconds.

[0042] Furthermore, failure to meet the preset conditions may also include multiple consecutive packet loss detections, a sudden increase in packet loss rate exceeding 200% of the baseline, and response timeouts. After the switch, the optimal path that does not meet the preset conditions can enter a cooling-off period. If it meets the preset conditions again during the cooling-off period, it will be reinstated into the service update map.

[0043] In some embodiments, the intelligent DHCP relay system 1 based on dynamic network topology awareness may further include a control interface module 50, which is configured to interact with an external SDN (Software-Defined Networking) controller through a programming interface, such as gRPC (Google Remote Procedure Call) or RESTAPI (Representation Layer State Transfer Application Programming Interface), to receive control policies, such as "prefer DHCP server A" or "disallow the use of forwarding path X", and to report local status, such as map snapshots, event logs or fault alarms.

[0044] Furthermore, the control interface module 50 can support OpenFlow 1.3+, NETCONF, or a custom RESTful API. The control policy can include at least a path priority list, a server blacklist, and QoS (Quality of Service) level requirements, such as requiring a packet loss rate of less than 100 milliseconds.

[0045] In summary, the intelligent DHCP relay system 1 based on dynamic network topology awareness of this application can support centralized control and flexible deployment in SDN / NFV environments, thus better adapting to new network architectures. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application can incorporate authentication and access control mechanisms to prevent unauthorized DHCP services, thereby enhancing security. Additionally, the modular design of the embodiments of this application facilitates subsequent functional expansion and AI algorithm integration, thereby enhancing scalability.

[0046] In this application, the network detection module 10 detects the network status in real time and builds a service quality map based on the network status to achieve dynamic path selection. At the same time, the service quality evaluation module 20 comprehensively evaluates the path quality and updates the service quality map. Finally, the routing decision module 30 obtains the optimal path from the updated service quality map and forwards the DHCP request message.

[0047] In this context, the embodiments of this application can reduce request latency and improve success rate through dynamic path selection. Through the collaborative work of various modules, the embodiments of this application can achieve intelligent, adaptive, and highly available DHCP relay services in complex network environments, significantly improving IP address allocation efficiency and network service quality.

[0048] This application also relates to a dynamic network topology-aware intelligent DHCP relay method, which is applied to the dynamic network topology-aware intelligent DHCP relay system 1 described above.

[0049] In some embodiments, the intelligent DHCP relay method based on dynamic network topology awareness includes: sending probe packets to multiple DHCP servers, and obtaining network performance indicators of the forwarding path between each DHCP server based on the response information of the probe packets. The network performance indicators include at least round-trip time, packet loss rate, and response processing time. The overall score of each forwarding path is calculated based on network performance metrics, and the service quality map is updated based on the overall score. The service quality map is used to store forwarding paths and their corresponding service quality metrics. The system queries the updated service quality map in real time, obtains the optimal path based on the comprehensive score, and encapsulates the DHCP request message from the DHCP client and forwards it to the corresponding DHCP server based on the optimal path.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the features / steps of the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by methods, data processing systems, or computer programs. These features can be implemented without hardware, entirely in software, or in a combination of hardware and software. The aforementioned computer program can be stored in one or more computer-readable storage media. When the computer program is executed (e.g., by a processor), it performs the steps of the above-described embodiments of the intelligent DHCP relay method based on dynamic network topology awareness.

[0051] The aforementioned storage media capable of storing program code include: static hard disks, solid-state hard disks, random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, flash memory, magnetic disks or optical disks, and / or combinations of the above devices, that is, they can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage devices or combinations thereof.

[0052] This application also provides a processing device embodiment, including one or more processors and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the one or more processors are used to execute the one or more computer programs stored in the memory, so that the processors execute the features / steps of the above-described embodiment of the intelligent DHCP relay method based on dynamic network topology awareness.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Furthermore, under the teachings of this application, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific situations and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A dynamic network topology-aware intelligent DHCP relay system, wherein the dynamic network topology-aware intelligent DHCP relay system is used to forward DHCP requests from DHCP clients to DHCP servers, characterized in that, include: The network detection module is configured to send probe packets to multiple DHCP servers and, based on the response information of the probe packets, obtain network performance indicators of the forwarding path between the various DHCP servers. The network performance indicators include at least round-trip time, packet loss rate, and response processing time. The service quality assessment module is configured to receive network performance indicators from the network detection module, calculate a comprehensive score for each forwarding path based on the network performance indicators, and update the service quality map according to the comprehensive score, wherein the service quality map is used to store the forwarding paths and the corresponding service quality indicators. The routing decision module is configured to query the updated service quality map in real time, obtain the optimal path based on the comprehensive score, and encapsulate the DHCP request message of the DHCP client and forward it to the corresponding DHCP server based on the optimal path.

2. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The network detection module sends the detection packets to all configured DHCP server addresses and relay exit interfaces based on a first preset time interval.

3. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The service quality indicators include at least the server IP, next-hop address, round-trip latency, packet loss rate, server load, overall score, last update timestamp, and path status.

4. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The formula for calculating the overall score is as follows: Score = w1·(1 / RTT) + w2·(1−Packet_Loss) + w3·(1−Server_Load), Where w1, w2, and w3 are weighting coefficients, RTT is the round-trip time, Packet_Loss is the packet loss rate, and Server_Load is the normalized value of the server load.

5. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The service quality assessment module refreshes the service quality map fully based on a second preset time interval, or incrementally updates the service quality map when a network event is triggered.

6. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The routing decision module is further configured to compare multiple forwarding paths. If the difference between the comprehensive scores of the multiple forwarding paths is less than a preset percentage, the routing decision module enables round-robin load balancing.

7. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The routing decision module is also configured to determine the forwarding path with the highest comprehensive score. If the forwarding path with the highest comprehensive score is in a cooling-off period, the routing decision module will automatically select another forwarding path.

8. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness also includes a fault switching module. The fault switching module is configured to monitor the forwarding results of DHCP request messages of the routing decision module, and switch the optimal path that does not meet the preset conditions to the suboptimal path according to the forwarding results. The comprehensive score of the suboptimal path is lower than the comprehensive score of the optimal path.

9. The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness also includes a control interface module, which is configured to interact with an external SDN controller through a programming interface, receive control policies, and report local status.

10. A method for intelligent DHCP relay based on dynamic network topology awareness, wherein the method is applied to the intelligent DHCP relay system based on dynamic network topology awareness as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The intelligent DHCP relay method based on dynamic network topology awareness includes: Send probe packets to multiple DHCP servers, and based on the response information of the probe packets, obtain network performance indicators of the forwarding path between the various DHCP servers. The network performance indicators include at least round-trip time, packet loss rate, and response processing time. A comprehensive score is calculated for each forwarding path based on the network performance metrics, and the service quality map is updated according to the comprehensive score, wherein the service quality map is used to store the forwarding paths and their corresponding service quality metrics. The system queries the updated service quality map in real time, obtains the optimal path based on the comprehensive score, and encapsulates the DHCP request message from the DHCP client and forwards it to the corresponding DHCP server based on the optimal path.

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