Bidirectional Multicast Ring Transmission Without OAM Overhead
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The use of OAM protocols in multicast ring networks to detect link failures increases system overheads and delays in packet transmission.
Innovation Solution
A method for multicast packet transmission in a ring network that sends packets in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions, allowing nodes to receive redundant packets with the same payload and discard duplicates, thereby eliminating the need for OAM protocols and reducing overheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If OAM protocol is run on each multicast path to detect link failures, then link failure detection capability is improved, but system overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the link failure detection function from the OAM protocol and implements it through the multicast packet transmission mechanism itself. By sending packets in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions and using duplicate packet detection, the system achieves failure detection without requiring separate OAM protocol operations, thereby reducing system overheads while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The multicast packet transmission system is given multiple functions: it not only transmits data but also performs link failure detection and health monitoring. The same packet transmission mechanism that delivers content also provides feedback about link status through the presence or absence of expected duplicate packets, eliminating the need for dedicated detection protocols
2Reliability
If OAM protocol is run on each multicast path to detect link failures, then link failure detection capability is improved, but packet transmission delays increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously transmitting packets in both directions around the ring network. This ongoing bidirectional transmission establishes a baseline of expected packet arrivals, enabling immediate detection of link failures when packets stop arriving from one direction, without requiring additional detection protocols that would cause delays
3Reliability
If packets are sent in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions, then redundancy and failure protection are improved, but system overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the redundancy mechanism with the normal packet transmission process. Instead of treating bidirectional transmission as a separate protective measure, it integrates this redundancy into the core transmission methodology, where packets naturally traverse both directions and nodes expect to receive duplicates, converting what could be overhead into the fundamental operating mode
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own packet transmission mechanism to provide failure detection and protection services. Nodes monitor the arrival of packets from both directions and automatically detect failures when expected packets are missing, allowing the transmission system to self-diagnose and self-protect without external monitoring protocols
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
This application provides a multicast packet transmission method, apparatus, and system, to reduce system overheads. The method is applied to a multicast ring network and the method includes: receiving, by a first network node in the multicast ring network through a first path in a clockwise direction of the multicast ring network, a first multicast packet sent by a second network node in the multicast ring network; receiving, by the first network node through a second path in an anticlockwise direction of the multicast ring network, a second multicast packet sent by the second network node, where a payload of the first multicast packet is the same as a payload of the second multicast packet; and forwarding, by the first network node, the first multicast packet or the second multicast packet to at least one multicast destination device connected to the first network node.