Communication Device Interface Selection for Direct Network Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In computer networks, traffic often takes indirect paths even when direct paths are available, leading to increased bandwidth requirements, higher costs, and reduced predictability and troubleshootability, a phenomenon known as tromboning.

Innovation Solution

A method where a communication device selects a primary interface for network traffic transmission and a backup interface for data message transmission, allowing a data processing node to identify a preferred forwarding port based on received data, thereby enabling direct traffic routing and avoiding tromboning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If network traffic is routed via indirect communication paths, then network coverage and connectivity are improved, but bandwidth consumption increases and costs rise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by sending data messages through the backup interface before actual network traffic needs to be routed. This allows the data processing node to pre-establish the preferred forwarding port mapping, so that when traffic needs to flow, it can immediately use the direct path without calculation delays, thus avoiding tromboning and reducing bandwidth consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If network traffic is routed via indirect communication paths, then network coverage is improved, but network predictability and troubleshootability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidnetwork troubleshootability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes forwarding port mappings by sending data messages before actual traffic flow. This creates predictable, pre-determined paths for network traffic, making routing behavior deterministic and easier to troubleshoot, as the preferred forwarding port is selected in advance based on direct connectivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Data messages act as intermediaries that carry information about interface preferences and connectivity. These messages enable the data processing node to learn about direct paths without actual traffic needing to traverse indirect routes, thus improving predictability and ease of troubleshooting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If a communication device uses multiple interfaces for network traffic, then redundancy and reliability are improved, but routing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork redundancyVSAvoidrouting complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system assigns different qualities/functions to different interfaces: the primary interface handles normal network traffic while the backup interface sends data messages for control purposes. This local differentiation simplifies routing decisions, as the data processing node can selectively use interfaces based on their designated roles rather than evaluating all interfaces equally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Data messages serve as intermediaries that carry routing preference information from the communication device to the data processing node. This intermediary mechanism allows the backup interface to influence forwarding decisions without handling actual network traffic, reducing routing complexity while maintaining redundancy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9246796B2Transmitting and forwarding data

Publication Date: 2016.01.26 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A network comprises a communication device having network communication interfaces and a data processing node having network communication ports. The communication device includes a first and a second interface communicatively coupled to a first and a second port of the data processing node respectively. The first interface is selected as a primary interface for the transmission of network traffic to destinations across the network. The second interface is selected as a backup interface which is to be selected for the transmission of the network traffic in the case of a need to failover to the backup interface. Network traffic from the communication device is transmitted via the first interface while the first interface is selected as the primary interface. At least one data message is transmitted from the communication device via the second interface, while the first interface is selected as the primary interface.