Cross-Platform Controller for Multi-Vendor Network Switch Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication networks face challenges in managing network switches from different vendors due to incompatibilities in operating systems and control protocols, making centralized management difficult.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cross-platform controller that interacts with network switches using a common protocol, allowing for centralized management of disparate switch equipment through a controller server and clients, and configuring switches to form virtual private cloud (VPC) tenants with virtual routers and system routers for flexible network traffic management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network switches from different vendors are used to increase network versatility, then adaptability improves, but compatibility and centralized management difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary component that sits between the network switches and the management system. This controller acts as a mediator that translates management commands into vendor-specific protocols and receives responses, converting them into unified management actions. By placing this intermediary layer, the system achieves centralized management of multi-vendor switches without requiring the management system to directly handle multiple proprietary protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller is designed with universal functionality to communicate with switches from different vendors using their respective proprietary protocols. It provides a unified interface for managing diverse switch equipment, effectively making the management system universal rather than vendor-specific. This multi-functional controller can handle multiple vendor protocols simultaneously, simplifying the overall management architecture.
2Ease of operation
If centralized management of network switches is implemented to improve management efficiency, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management system is segmented into separate functional components: a controller that handles protocol translation and communication, and management clients that handle high-level management operations. This segmentation allows the controller to be optimized for protocol handling while keeping management operations simple and distributed. The controller becomes a dedicated layer that absorbs the complexity of vendor-specific protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller serves as an intermediary that absorbs the complexity of communicating with multiple vendor switches. It handles the protocol translation and communication details, shielding the management clients from these complexities. This mediator approach allows centralized management to be achieved without forcing every management client to understand complex vendor-specific protocols.
3Adaptability or versatility
If virtual private cloud resources are formed on user infrastructure to improve user control, then adaptability improves, but network configuration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as an intermediary that translates high-level virtual private cloud configuration requests into detailed switch configurations. Users can define VPC resources at a high level without needing to understand the underlying switch configuration complexity. The controller handles the translation between user-friendly VPC abstractions and the complex network switch configuration language.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters at which users interact with the network. Instead of configuring individual switch parameters directly, users configure virtual private cloud resources with higher-level parameters. The controller automatically translates these parameter changes into the necessary low-level switch configurations, simplifying the user experience while maintaining full control.
Data Source
AI summary
A packet forwarding network may include spine and leaf switches that forward network traffic between end hosts. The packet forwarding network may be implemented on multiple network racks in a rack-based system. A controller may control the underlying spine and leaf switches to form on-premise virtual private cloud (VPC) resources. In particular, the controller may form enterprise VPC (EVPC) tenants, each having a virtual router that performs routing between different segments within the corresponding EVPC tenant. The different segments may separately include web, application, and database servers, as end hosts. The controller may form a system VPC tenant having a virtual system router that performs routing between different EVPC tenants. A segment in an internal VPC tenant formed by the controller and/or an external VPC tenant formed by the controller may provide external network access for one or more of the EVPC tenants.