Abstracted OS for Network Visibility Infrastructure Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network visibility infrastructures, including taps, network packet brokers, and mirroring ports, are difficult to configure and manage as an integrated network, especially across vast distances, leading to increased complexity and maintenance burdens for network operators.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a centralized abstracted operating system and common protocols to decouple the control and application planes from forwarding hardware, allowing for modular architecture and unified management of network visibility elements, leveraging Software Defined Networks (SDNs) and OpenFlow™ standards to integrate network visibility into traffic management and routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If network visibility infrastructure (taps, NPBs, mirroring ports) is deployed across vast distances to monitor network traffic, then network monitoring coverage is improved, but configuration and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized controller as an intermediary between network operators and distributed visibility infrastructure elements. This controller abstracts the complexity of configuring and managing taps, NPBs, and mirroring ports across vast distances, allowing operators to manage the infrastructure through a unified interface rather than individually configuring each device at remote locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal management platform that can configure and manage multiple types of network visibility infrastructure elements (taps, NPBs, mirroring ports) through a single system. This multi-functional controller handles diverse device types and protocols, reducing the need for separate management tools for each infrastructure component deployed across different network areas.
2Reliability
If multiple network visibility elements are deployed to provide comprehensive monitoring, then monitoring capability is improved, but maintenance burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized controller serves as an intermediary that simplifies maintenance operations for multiple distributed visibility elements. When maintenance or updates are needed, the controller can remotely configure and manage multiple devices, reducing the need for physical access to each device and lowering the overall maintenance burden despite having comprehensive monitoring coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the management and control functions of multiple separate visibility infrastructure elements into a single centralized controller. This consolidation allows maintenance operations to be performed through one unified system rather than individually maintaining each tap, NPB, or mirroring port, significantly reducing the maintenance burden while preserving comprehensive monitoring capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If network visibility infrastructure is integrated into existing networks, then network monitoring functionality is improved, but conflicts between tool requirements and network needs arise
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized controller acts as an intermediary layer between network monitoring tools and the existing network infrastructure. It abstracts and manages the integration complexities, translating between different tool requirements and network capabilities, thereby reducing conflicts while maintaining high adaptability and comprehensive monitoring functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal controller that can accommodate multiple monitoring tools with different requirements while interfacing with various network infrastructure elements. This multi-functional platform provides a common interface and management plane that resolves conflicts between diverse tool requirements and network needs, enabling integrated operation without increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A visibility infrastructure network or monitoring a switching network is disclosed. There are included a plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements implementing forwarding hardware for forwarding packets to monitoring tools. There is also included an abstracted operating system shared by said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements. There are further included at least one application executing on said abstracted operating system and a common logical architecture having common protocols for enabling the plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements and the applications to communicate with the abstracted operating system.