Centralized Label Controller for Multicast Conflict Resolution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current multicast technologies face label conflicts between multicast and unicast services, as well as between different multicast services, due to independent label distribution processes, leading to inefficient forwarding and inability to distinguish between services.
Innovation Solution
A centralized primary controller manages label space by maintaining a label information table, ensuring unique labels for unicast and multicast services through centralized label distribution, preventing conflicts by querying and updating the table for unused labels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If independent label distribution is used for multicast services, then label distribution simplicity is improved, but label conflict occurs between multicast and unicast services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized label distribution controller as an intermediary between multicast services and LSRs. This controller maintains a global label information table and centrally allocates labels to multicast services, preventing label conflicts between multicast and unicast services while maintaining distribution efficiency. The controller acts as a mediator that coordinates label usage across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the label distribution functions for both unicast and multicast services under a single centralized controller. By combining these previously independent distribution processes into one unified system with a global label information table, the patent ensures consistent label management and prevents conflicts while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If independent label distribution is used for different multicast services, then service independence is improved, but label conflict occurs between multicast services
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized label distribution controller provides universal label distribution services to multiple multicast services through a unified label information table. This multi-functional system maintains service independence while ensuring unique label allocation across all multicast services, preventing label conflicts through centralized coordination.
3Reliability
If centralized label distribution is implemented, then label conflict prevention is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the label distribution functionality into a centralized control plane (label distribution controller) and a simplified data plane (LSRs). The controller handles the complex tasks of maintaining the global label information table and making allocation decisions, while LSRs perform simpler label forwarding operations. This segmentation reduces the complexity burden on individual network elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized label distribution controller serves as an intermediary that absorbs the system complexity, providing a simplified interface to LSRs. The controller manages the global label information table and makes allocation decisions, shielding LSRs from complexity while ensuring reliable label uniqueness across the network.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6(A)
AI summary
This invention relates to the multicast field and discloses a method, system and apparatus for distributing labels for multicast services. The method of this invention is to deploy a primary controller in the network to manage the label space on a centralized basis; the primary controller distributes a label for the multicast service upon obtaining a request for a label from the multicast service source, which ensures that unicast services and multicast services use different labels, thus solving conflicts between unicast labels and multicast labels and between multicast labels; the primary controller can also query labels for multicast members. The apparatus for distributing labels provided in an embodiment of this invention includes a message interaction unit, a information maintenance unit and a label distribution unit.