Cloud IP Routing with Shared Virtual IP Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Public cloud providers lack flexibility in dynamic IP routing, leading to issues such as dropped traffic when a host fails and the inability to distribute traffic across multiple hosts using static IP addresses, which is often resolved with complex and costly load balancers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where multiple compute instances share a common virtual IP address, with each instance advertising its status and cost to a network virtualization device (NVD), which generates a forwarding table for dynamic routing, allowing automatic fail-over and traffic distribution without load balancers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If static IP routes are used in public cloud environments, then implementation is simple, but the system cannot adapt to host failures or dynamic service states
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic IP routing where the cloud provider automatically discovers and tracks the state of customer applications and service hosts. The routing table is dynamically updated based on host availability, service state, and load conditions, allowing the system to adapt to changes without manual intervention while maintaining automated management.
2Productivity
If load balancers are deployed to distribute traffic across multiple hosts, then traffic distribution is achieved, but cost and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the load balancing function from traditional Layer-4-to-Layer-7 load balancer hardware/software and integrates it directly into the cloud provider's routing infrastructure. The routing system now performs both routing and load balancing functions, eliminating the need for separate load balancer components while achieving traffic distribution across multiple service hosts.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud provider's routing system is enhanced to perform multiple functions: traditional IP routing, dynamic service state discovery, host failure detection, and load balancing. This multi-functional approach consolidates what were previously separate systems into a unified routing infrastructure that handles both routing and load distribution.
3Reliability
If traditional routing systems are used, then infrastructure cost is lower, but traffic distribution and availability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the cloud provider continuously monitors the state of service hosts and customer applications. This state information is fed back to the routing system, which automatically adjusts routing decisions based on current host availability and service state, ensuring high availability without requiring complex external monitoring systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides dynamic routing for data flows to a customer network hosted in the cloud. A plurality of compute instances may share a common virtual IP address. Each of the plurality of compute instances may advertise information to a respective network virtualization device (NVD). The information may include the IP address, cost, and/or active/standby status of the compute instance. The NVD may then provide the information to the control plane of a virtual cloud network (VCN), which may aggregate the information from the plurality of compute instances and generate a forwarding table, which may be sent to the NVDs. These techniques may allow a customer to automatically remove a compute instance whose service host has failed. These techniques may also allow a customer to add compute instances and to route data flows according to an active-standby operation, an equal cost active-active operation, or an unequal cost active-active operation.