Centralized Database for Network Interconnection Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing the complex and heterogeneous nature of modern enterprise networks, which involves configuring and interconnecting various network types such as SD-WANs, public clouds, and private data centers, is a challenging task due to their opacity and virtual nature.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a centralized database subsystem that captures and processes user intent to automatically interconnect enterprise networks by translating high-level user intent into network intent, which includes lower-level configuration parameters for tunnel setup, security, and IP addresses, and then negotiates these configurations between data plane adaptors associated with each network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual configuration methods are used for network interconnection, then configuration control and visibility are maintained, but the complexity and time required for managing heterogeneous networks increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized database subsystem as an intermediary between network administrators and the complex network interconnection infrastructure. This subsystem abstracts the complexity of configuring heterogeneous networks (SD-WANs, public clouds, private data centers) by providing a unified interface that translates high-level interconnection requests into detailed configuration parameters, thereby improving ease of operation while managing system complexity through centralized control
2Productivity
If automated interconnection systems are implemented, then configuration time and operational complexity are reduced, but the level of automation and abstraction increases system opacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the centralized database subsystem continuously monitors and tracks the state of network interconnections. The system provides visibility into the automated processes by maintaining records of configuration parameters, negotiation states, and interconnection status, allowing administrators to detect and measure system state despite the underlying automation and abstraction layers
3Reliability
If centralized control is used to manage network interconnections, then configuration consistency and coordination are improved, but the centralization point becomes a potential bottleneck and single point of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized database subsystem into modular components that can independently manage different aspects of network interconnection (e.g., configuration management, negotiation coordination, state tracking). This segmentation allows the centralized control function to be distributed across multiple subsystems or even physical nodes, reducing the bottleneck effect and eliminating single points of failure while maintaining configuration consistency through coordinated access to the database
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes methods and systems to externally manage network-to-network interconnect configuration data in conjunction with a centralized database subsystem. An example of the methods includes receiving and storing, in the centralized database subsystem, data indicative of user intent to interconnect at least a first network and a second network. The example method further includes, based at least in part on the data indicative of user intent, determining and storing, in the centralized database subsystem, a network intent that corresponds to the user intent. The example method further includes providing data indicative of the network intent from the centralized database subsystem to a first data plane adaptor, associated with the first network, and a second data plane adaptor, associated with the second network.