Cloud Replication Packet Tagging for Latency-Critical Backup Traffic

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hybrid cloud environments, existing data replication methods fail to prioritize data packets based on the latency requirements of different storage types and network conditions, leading to performance penalties and delays, especially for mission-critical applications.

Innovation Solution

A tagging process that dynamically assigns priority tags to data packets based on real-time network conditions and storage attributes, ensuring that mission-critical applications receive higher bandwidth and reduce latency by prioritizing their data transfers between private and public cloud instances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data replication packets are treated equally with other traffic, then network infrastructure utilization is efficient, but critical replication data may be delayed or lost during network congestion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata replication reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork traffic management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the priority parameter of data replication packets from equal treatment to high priority treatment. This is achieved by marking replication packets with a high priority bit and configuring network devices to recognize and prioritize these marked packets, ensuring they receive preferential handling during network congestion while maintaining standard processing for other traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If high priority queuing is enabled for replication traffic, then data replication reliability improves, but network device complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata replication reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork device energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by marking data replication packets with high priority bits before they enter the network. This pre-marking allows network devices to automatically recognize and prioritize these packets without requiring complex real-time analysis or additional processing resources, thereby improving reliability while minimizing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If standard IP protocols are used without extensions, then network compatibility is maintained, but quality of service differentiation for replication traffic is not possible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork protocol compatibilityVSAvoiddata replication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by introducing a specific high priority bit within the IP protocol header specifically for data replication traffic. This localized modification allows quality of service differentiation for replication packets without altering the overall IP protocol structure, maintaining compatibility with standard IP infrastructure while enabling reliability improvements for critical replication traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4420332B1Prioritizing data replication packets in cloud environment
Publication Date: 2026.05.20 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • EP4420332B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4420332B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4420332B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Provided is a system and method which prioritizes data replication packets between a private cloud and a public cloud which provides a backup for the private cloud. In one example, the method may include receiving a request from a software application to write data to a storage location of a private cloud that hosts the software application, identifying storage attributes of the storage location of the private cloud, generating a replication request for replicating the data over a network to a public cloud, embedding a priority tag into the replication request based on the identified storage attributes of the storage location of the private cloud, and transmitting the tagged replication request over the network from the private cloud to the public cloud based on a bandwidth assigned to the embedded priority tag.