Client-Allocatable Bandwidth Pools for Network Traffic Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data center environments, traditional bandwidth management approaches often lead to oversubscription scenarios due to application-unaware bandwidth usage limits, resulting in inadequate network performance and client dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a resource manager that allows clients to specify and manage bandwidth pools and rate limits for resource groups, enabling dynamic allocation and optimization of network traffic rates across resources, with features like bandwidth pool creation, resource-specific allocation, and circuit switching emulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional application-unaware bandwidth usage limits are imposed on all resources, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but network performance deteriorates and client satisfaction decreases due to oversubscription scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments bandwidth management into hierarchical levels: global bandwidth pools at the provider network level, resource group-level bandwidth pools, and individual resource allocations. This segmentation allows differentiated bandwidth guarantees for different application scenarios while maintaining overall system manageability. Each segment can have its own awareness of application requirements without requiring uniform complex management across all resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes bandwidth parameters based on application requirements. Bandwidth pools can be created with specific rate limits, burst capacities, and allocation policies that match different application needs. The resource manager adjusts these parameters in response to client requests and actual usage patterns, transitioning from static uniform limits to dynamic application-aware parameters.
2Reliability
If bandwidth pools are created and managed at the resource group level with application awareness, then network performance and client satisfaction are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resource manager implements self-service capabilities where clients can programmatically create, modify, and manage their own bandwidth pools through APIs. The system automatically handles bandwidth allocation, monitoring, and adjustment based on defined policies, reducing the need for manual intervention and complex operator procedures. This automation manages the inherent complexity while delivering reliable application-aware bandwidth guarantees.
3Ease of operation
If uniform bandwidth limits are applied to all compute resources, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity decreases due to inability to support high-performance distributed applications requiring high bandwidth interconnections
Solution Approach 1:
The bandwidth pool mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides default uniform limits for general-purpose resources, enables application-aware differentiated allocation for performance-critical workloads, supports burst capacity management, and offers flexible pricing models. This multi-functionality allows the same infrastructure to support both simple uniform management and complex application-optimized performance needs.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for client-allocatable bandwidth pools are disclosed. A system includes a plurality of resources of a provider network and a resource manager. In response to a determination to accept a bandwidth pool creation request from a client for a resource group, where the resource group comprises a plurality of resources allocated to the client, the resource manager stores an indication of a total network traffic rate limit of the resource group. In response to a bandwidth allocation request from the client to allocate a specified portion of the total network traffic rate limit to a particular resource of the resource group, the resource manager initiates one or more configuration changes to allow network transmissions within one or more network links of the provider network accessible from the particular resource at a rate up to the specified portion.