Two-Tier Anycast Addressing for Deterministic Traffic Shifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Anycast network architecture lacks deterministic traffic management capabilities, making it difficult to shift specific amounts of traffic to selected destinations, which is crucial for load balancing, network attack mitigation, and maintaining uptime.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a two-tier Anycast addressing hierarchy with a common Anycast cover route and specific routes within the subnet, allowing for deterministic traffic management without deviating from Anycast addressing and routing, by dynamically modifying DNS operations or dynamically advertising second-tier Anycast addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional Anycast addressing is used with single-tier routing, then routing simplicity and DNS resolution speed are improved, but deterministic traffic management capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the Anycast addressing system into two tiers: a first-tier Anycast address for general routing simplicity and a second-tier Anycast address for deterministic traffic management. This segmentation allows the system to maintain the simplicity of traditional Anycast while adding the capability for controlled traffic shifting through the second tier.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a second dimension to the Anycast addressing hierarchy by introducing a second-tier Anycast address that operates within the subnet of the first-tier address. This dimensional addition enables deterministic traffic management without compromising the foundational simplicity of single-tier Anycast routing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If DNS-based traffic shifting is used in Anycast, then traffic can be redirected to different locations, but deterministic control over traffic amount and destination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a second-tier Anycast address as an intermediary mechanism between the DNS system and the actual traffic routing. This intermediary enables precise control over traffic amount and destination by allowing selective advertisement of second-tier addresses corresponding to specific destinations, thereby achieving deterministic traffic management.
3Manufacturing precision
If Unicast addressing is used with DNS resolution logic, then deterministic traffic shifting is improved, but DNS complexity and operation time deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the Anycast addressing functionality at the second tier, which mirrors the deterministic traffic shifting capability of Unicast but operates within the Anycast framework. This copying allows DNS resolution to remain simple and fast while achieving deterministic traffic control through the selective use of second-tier addresses.
Data Source
AI summary
A two-tier Anycast addressing hierarchy enables deterministic traffic management in an Anycast system. Different locations of the Anycast system advertise a common Anycast cover route comprising a first-tier Anycast address with a first address prefix, and different specific routes comprising a set of second-tier Anycast addresses with a second address prefix, wherein each address of the set of second-tier Anycast addresses falls within the already advertised Anycast cover route, and wherein the second prefix is larger than the first prefix. Domain Name System (DNS) operation can resolve queries to the cover route when normal Anycast operation is desired or can be modified to resolve a subset of queries to a particular second-tier address in order to shift a deterministic amount of traffic based on the resolved subset of queries to a deterministically selected Anycast system location based on the location from which the particular second-tier address is advertised.