Acceleration Node Bypass Links for Zero-Downtime Upgrades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upgrading acceleration nodes in a distributed computer network often results in downtime, which negatively affects network availability and performance, especially when complex procedures require gradual and incremental steps.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a bypass link from one acceleration node to another allows new connections to be redirected during the upgrade process, ensuring continuous functionality and eliminating downtime, with the upgrade procedure being autonomously initiated and propagated throughout the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If acceleration nodes are taken offline for upgrading, then the upgrade operation can be performed, but network downtime occurs affecting availability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a bypass link before taking the acceleration node offline for upgrading. This ensures that network traffic can be redirected to alternative paths in advance, preventing any interruption in service availability during the upgrade process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a bypass link as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the acceleration node being upgraded and the network traffic. This intermediary path allows traffic to flow around the offline node, maintaining network availability while the upgrade is performed.
2Reliability
If complex upgrade procedures are performed incrementally, then the upgrade can be completed safely, but the upgrade time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation and preparation steps before executing the incremental upgrade procedure. By checking prerequisites and preparing the environment in advance, the actual upgrade can proceed more efficiently with fewer interruptions, reducing overall upgrade time while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The upgrade system implements feedback mechanisms that monitor the progress and status of incremental upgrade steps. This allows the system to detect and respond to issues quickly, preventing failures that would require rollback and re-execution, thereby reducing total upgrade time while ensuring reliability.
3Reliability
If manual intervention is required for upgrades, then control and monitoring can be maintained, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service capabilities by enabling acceleration nodes to automatically perform upgrade operations based on predefined policies and configurations. The nodes can autonomously establish bypass links, execute upgrade procedures, and verify successful completion, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining control through automated monitoring and validation.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
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AI summary
Performing operations on nodes of distributed computer networks. A request to upgrade a first acceleration node in a computer network is identified. A second acceleration node that is linked to the first acceleration node is identified. A bypass link to the second acceleration node from the first acceleration node is established. The bypass link is configured to transmit new connections received for handling by the first acceleration node to the second acceleration node for handling by the second acceleration node during upgrading of the first acceleration node. Upon establishing the bypass link, the first acceleration node is upgraded in response to identifying the request.