BIERv6 Packet Sending Method Reducing Memory Overhead
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing BIERv6 technology faces memory overhead issues due to the need for nodes in a VPN to store correspondences between source IPv6 addresses and VPNs, leading to increased memory usage and waste.
Innovation Solution
Embedding identification information of a tenant within the source IPv6 address field of a BIER IPv6 packet, allowing network devices to determine the tenant information without needing to store an N:1 mapping relationship between IPv6 addresses and tenant IDs, thereby reducing memory overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nodes in a VPN store correspondences between source IPv6 addresses and VPNs, then multicast forwarding can be achieved, but memory overhead increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tenant identification information with the source IPv6 address by embedding the VNI in the lower 24 bits of the IPv6 address. This combination eliminates the need for separate mapping tables, as the tenant ID is now directly integrated into the address structure itself, reducing memory requirements while maintaining forwarding capability
Solution Approach 2:
The source IPv6 address field is given multiple functions: it simultaneously serves as the traditional source address identifier and as a tenant/VPN identifier. By making the IPv6 address field multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate storage structures for tenant mappings, thereby reducing memory overhead
2Ease of operation
If mapping relationships between IPv6 addresses and tenant IDs are stored, then packet routing to correct interfaces is enabled, but memory waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the routing identification function with the source IPv6 address by embedding VNI information directly in the address. This merger eliminates the need for separate N:1 mapping relationships between IPv6 addresses and tenant IDs, as the tenant identification is now intrinsic to the address itself, reducing memory waste while preserving routing capability
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a packet sending method. The method includes: receiving, by a first network device, a data packet, and encapsulating the data packet to obtain a first packet, where the first packet includes an IPv6 header, a bit index explicit replication BIER header, and the data packet, and some bits of a source IPv6 address field in the IPv6 header include identification information of a first tenant; and sending, by the first network device, the first packet to a second network device, where the identification information of the first tenant is used by the second network device to determine to send the data packet to an interface, corresponding to the first tenant, of the second network device.