Auto-provisioning Edge Devices via Control Plane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud-based service providers face challenges in maintaining performance, latency, reliability, and scalability in large storage environments like data centers, despite employing emerging virtual technologies such as EVPN and PBB-EVPN, which continue to drive higher customer expectations.
Innovation Solution
A network controller identifies a first sign of life for PE devices in the communication network through control plane communications, imports encapsulated workflow requests, determines configuration parameters, and transmits them to provision PE devices efficiently, leveraging EVPN to auto-provision and reduce data plane communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cloud-based service providers employ emerging virtual technologies such as EVPN and PBB-EVPN in large storage environments, then network resiliency and integrated L2/L3 connectivity are improved, but device complexity and control plane overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through automatic provisioning of PE devices. When a PE device boots, it automatically sends a bootstrap message to the controller, receives configuration parameters, and provisions itself without manual intervention. This automated self-configuration reduces control plane overhead while maintaining network resiliency through EVPN and PBB-EVPN technologies.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual provisioning methods are used for PE devices, then configuration accuracy is improved, but provisioning time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where PE devices automatically send bootstrap messages to the controller upon booting. The controller responds with configuration parameters, and the PE device provisions itself based on this feedback loop. This automated feedback-driven provisioning maintains configuration accuracy while dramatically reducing provisioning time compared to manual methods.
3Productivity
If automatic provisioning is implemented, then provisioning speed is improved, but risk of configuration errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the bootstrap message and the provisioning process. It receives the bootstrap message, determines appropriate configuration parameters based on pre-configured policies and tenant requirements, and sends standardized configuration commands to the PE device. This intermediary approach ensures consistent, error-free automatic provisioning while maintaining high speeds.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a network controller identifies a first sign of life for an edge device in a communication network (e.g., when the network controller receives an encapsulated workflow request for the edge device over a control plane of the communication network). The network controller further imports the encapsulated workflow request from the edge device over the control plane, determines configuration parameters for a tenant and a tenant network from the encapsulated workflow request, and transmits the configuration parameters to the edge device to provision the edge device for the tenant according to the configuration parameters.