Centralized Filter Control Module for Network Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network visibility infrastructures, including taps and network packet brokers, are difficult to manage and configure due to their decentralized nature, leading to inefficiencies in packet duplication, redundancy, and conflict resolution across vast distances and complex networks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a centralized filter control module that abstracts the control plane from forwarding hardware, allowing for hierarchical packet duplication and redundancy management, and integrating network visibility infrastructure elements as a network using the OpenFlow standard, enabling centralized configuration and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a decentralized network visibility infrastructure is used, then network monitoring coverage is achieved, but configuration and management complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized controller as an intermediary between network operators and the decentralized visibility infrastructure elements (taps, NPBs). This controller abstracts the complexity of configuring and managing multiple distributed elements, providing a unified interface while maintaining comprehensive network monitoring coverage through the decentralized components.
2Reliability
If multiple network visibility infrastructure elements are deployed across vast distances, then network-wide visibility is achieved, but packet duplication redundancy becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions of multiple distributed visibility elements into a single centralized controller. This consolidation manages packet duplication and redundancy across the entire network visibility infrastructure, eliminating the complexity that would arise from each element managing its own redundancy independently across vast distances.
3Ease of operation
If centralized filter control is implemented, then configuration management is simplified, but system architecture complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control plane functions from the forwarding hardware of individual visibility elements and consolidates them in a centralized controller. This separation simplifies configuration management for operators while the underlying architecture handles the complexity of coordinating multiple distributed elements through standardized communication protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention disclose methods for managing visibility filters in a plurality of network visibility infrastructure elements of a visibility network such that these network visibility infrastructure elements and their filters are managed as a network and filter configuring, packet replication, and redundancy are implemented efficiently from a centralized filter control module.