Bonding Interface for Centralized Control Network Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network elements with redundant control networks face challenges in centralized management and rogue software issues, as application layer software must separately manage interfaces to active and standby control networks, leading to potential misconfiguration and unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network element with network selection controllers that broadcast control network selection messages to determine and switch between active and standby control networks, using bonding interfaces to present a single logical interface to application software, thereby centralizing the control network selection and preventing rogue access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If application layer software on each line card manages interfaces to control networks independently, then each line card can autonomously select control network interfaces, but rogue software and incorrectly configured software may use either interface to the control networks causing security issues and misconfiguration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bonding interface as an intermediary layer between application layer software and control network interfaces. This bonding interface abstracts the underlying physical interfaces (port 162 for active control network, port 164 for standby control network) and presents a single logical interface to application software. The bonding interface driver (e.g., using 802.3ad protocol) manages the selection and switching between active and standby control networks, preventing rogue software from directly accessing control network interfaces while maintaining autonomous operation capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple bonding interfaces independently select links to control networks, then each bonding interface can optimize its own path selection, but centralized management and coordination of control network selection is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control network interface selection functionality into a centralized bonding interface component that manages all control network connections. Instead of each bonding interface independently selecting links, a single bonding interface (bonding interface 158) consolidates the management of connections to both active control network (120A) and standby control network (120B). This centralized approach ensures coordinated selection and switching, maintaining adaptability while simplifying management coordination.
3Reliability
If separate physical interfaces are provided for active and standby control networks, then redundancy and failover capability are ensured, but the number of visible interfaces to network software increases requiring separate management
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding interface serves multiple functions: it provides redundancy by connecting to both active control network (120A) and standby control network (120B), enables failover capability by switching between networks, and simultaneously presents a single logical interface to application software. This multi-functional design maintains reliability through physical redundancy while reducing the number of visible interfaces from two separate physical interfaces to one unified logical interface.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for centrally selecting a control network from redundant control networks is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a network element includes a first control network and a second control network. Each line card implements a bonding interface to bond a first port coupled with the first control network and a second port coupled with the second control network. On each line card, the first and second ports receive a control network selection message from the first and second control networks respectively. A link layer driver on each line card interprets those selection messages and determines which control network is active and reports that control network as up to the bonding interface and reports the other control network as down to the bonding interface. The bonding interface selects the control network reported as up and application software uses that control network.