Cloud NAT Network Management via Persistent Session Affinity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud-based network management systems face challenges in managing large-scale networks with device-initiated management sessions and frequent network address changes, particularly when separated by network address translation (NAT) services, including horizontal scaling, microservice crashes, connection drops, and inefficient session management.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a cloud-based network management system utilizing microservices, specifically Device Communication Managers (DCMs) and Device Operations Managers (DOMs), with asymmetric communication mechanisms and an API gateway for routing REST API calls using unique device identifiers, enabling persistent communication sessions and dynamic scalability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a centralized network management system is used to manage large-scale networks, then network management capability is improved, but system scalability and robustness deteriorate due to NAT address changes and microservice crashes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork management reliabilityVSAvoidsession management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments session management into two independent microservices: DCM handles device connection and session establishment, while DOM handles device operations. This segmentation allows each service to be independently scaled and managed, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability through specialized functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism using device identifiers (UUIDs) as session tokens that persist across NAT address changes. This intermediary allows the system to track and maintain session state without being affected by network address translation, thereby improving reliability without adding complex session management logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If traditional session management is used with NAT services, then device connectivity is maintained, but session tracking becomes inefficient and unreliable due to frequent address changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession management efficiencyVSAvoidsession tracking reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by establishing session affinity binding between device identifiers and microservice instances before NAT address changes occur. The DCM binds the device UUID to the session, and this binding is maintained throughout the session lifecycle, ensuring reliable session tracking even when network addresses change frequently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If microservices are deployed to improve scalability, then system flexibility is improved, but connection stability deteriorates due to microservice crashes and dynamic scaling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem scalabilityVSAvoidconnection stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic session affinity management where the system can adapt to microservice scaling and crashes. When microservices are dynamically scaled or restarted, the session affinity mechanism using device identifiers ensures that sessions are correctly routed to appropriate instances, maintaining connection stability while allowing system scalability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If device identifiers are used for session affinity, then session routing is improved, but system complexity increases due to identifier management

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession routing simplicityVSAvoididentifier management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device identifier (UUID) serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a unique device identifier, a session token for affinity routing, and a tracking key for NAT address changes. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall system by using a single identifier mechanism rather than requiring separate systems for each function, thereby improving ease of operation without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3843334B1Scalable and robust network management for cloud-based NAT environments

Publication Date: 2023.03.01 JUNIPER NETWORKS INC

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AI summary

Scalable, robust cloud-based network management systems (NMSs) are described. In one, an NMS includes a set of NMS applications, a pool of device communication managers (DCMs), and a pool of device operations managers (DOMs). Each of the DCMs and DOMs executed by the processors as software containers. The NMS includes an API gateway configured to route remote procedure calls (RPCs) from the DCMs to the DOMs via the APIs exposed by the DOMs and according to device identifiers of the managed elements. The DOMs are configured to establish a set of persistent application-layer communication sessions from the DOMs to the DCMs and to direct communications from the NMS applications to the DCMs over the persistent application-layer communication sessions according to a mapping between device identifiers associated with the managed elements and network addresses associated with the DCMs.