Container Network Interface Reuse for Faster Function Startup

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container orchestration systems face significant overhead costs and long tail latencies due to database operations involved in creating and managing network configurations for serverless functions, which are not fully addressed by existing optimizations.

Innovation Solution

A modified container network interface (CNI) specification with annotations, operations, and policies to provide network configuration reuse, replication, and garbage collection, allowing for caching and template-based generation of network configurations to reduce database operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If database operations are performed for each network configuration creation, then network configuration management is achieved, but overhead costs and startup latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork configuration managementVSAvoidstartup latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by creating network configuration templates in advance that can be reused multiple times. Instead of performing full database operations for each new network endpoint, the system pre-defines template structures that capture common configuration patterns, allowing rapid instantiation of new endpoints by simply filling in variable parameters rather than executing complete configuration workflows from scratch

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies copying by enabling the replication of network configuration templates to create multiple network endpoints. Once a template is established, it can be copied and instantiated numerous times with minimal additional processing, replacing the need to perform identical database operations for each endpoint creation. This template-based copying mechanism significantly reduces the per-endpoint overhead while maintaining configuration consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If database operations are performed for each network configuration creation, then network configuration management is achieved, but overhead costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork configuration managementVSAvoidoverhead costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by creating network configuration templates in advance that can be reused multiple times. Instead of performing full database operations for each new network endpoint, the system pre-defines template structures that capture common configuration patterns, allowing rapid instantiation of new endpoints by simply filling in variable parameters rather than executing complete configuration workflows from scratch

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies copying by enabling the replication of network configuration templates to create multiple network endpoints. Once a template is established, it can be copied and instantiated numerous times with minimal additional processing, replacing the need to perform identical database operations for each endpoint creation. This template-based copying mechanism significantly reduces the per-endpoint overhead while maintaining configuration consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If traditional CNI operations are used, then network configuration creation is achieved, but scalability is limited due to bottlenecks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork configuration creationVSAvoidscalability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the network configuration creation process into template definition and template instantiation phases. The template phase captures the static, reusable portions of configuration, while the instantiation phase handles dynamic endpoint-specific parameters. This segmentation allows the system to scale efficiently by reusing templates across multiple endpoints without proportionally increasing processing overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies copying by enabling the replication of network configuration templates to create multiple network endpoints. Once a template is established, it can be copied and instantiated numerous times with minimal additional processing, replacing the need to perform identical database operations for each endpoint creation. This template-based copying mechanism significantly reduces the per-endpoint overhead while maintaining configuration consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12580811B2Highly scalable container network interface operation to reduce startup overhead of functions

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 RED HAT INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for providing a container network interface (CNI) specification that has been modified with a set of annotations, a set of operations, and a set of policies to provide network configuration reuse, network configuration replication, and database management (garbage collection) functionality are described. In response to receiving a request to initiate a function, whether the function is to be reused or replicated may be determined. In response to determining that the function is to be reused, calling a container network interface (CNI) plugin with a first operation that decouples database functions from network functions, so that the database can cache and reuse a network configuration generated for the function. In response to determining that the function is to be replicated, calling the CNI plugin with a second operation to create the network configuration and generate and store a template of the network configuration in the database.