Customer Edge Device Multicast VRF Bandwidth Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing information handling systems for high-frequency trading in financial markets are inefficient in providing and managing multicast streams, leading to bandwidth wastage and potential confidentiality breaches between HFT firms sharing a single network provider.

Innovation Solution

A network device acting as a customer edge device with multiple virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instances, where a single multicast stream is received on a default VRF instance and replicated to subscribing VRF instances, conserving bandwidth and maintaining confidentiality by isolating traffic between customers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a single multicast stream is transmitted to multiple customers sharing a network, then bandwidth is conserved, but confidentiality between customers cannot be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth consumptionVSAvoidconfidentiality breach

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The network device segments the multicast stream distribution by creating separate VRF instances for different customers. Each VRF instance receives and processes the multicast stream independently, allowing the same physical stream to be logically divided into customer-specific instances that maintain confidentiality while sharing the underlying bandwidth-efficient multicast transport.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instances act as intermediaries between the shared multicast stream and individual customer networks. The VRF instances mediate the delivery process by receiving the stream on a default VRF, replicating it, and forwarding copies to subscribing VRF instances, thereby enabling both bandwidth conservation and customer isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If separate multicast streams are transmitted to each customer, then confidentiality is maintained, but bandwidth is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconfidentialityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple customer-specific VRF instances are merged at the network device level to receive a single shared multicast stream. The device combines the routing and forwarding logic of multiple VRFs into a unified processing architecture that efficiently handles stream replication and distribution, achieving both bandwidth efficiency and customer isolation through the merged VRF structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of energy

If multiple VRF instances are implemented for stream replication, then confidentiality and bandwidth efficiency are achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth consumptionVSAvoidVRF instance management

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network device implements a universal VRF instance architecture where a default VRF instance performs multiple functions: receiving the multicast stream, replicating it, and serving as a parent for multiple subscribing VRF instances. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate dedicated structures for each customer, thereby managing complexity while maintaining confidentiality and bandwidth efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9942054B2Systems and methods for an extranet multicast virtual private network in a virtual routing and forwarding based customer edge device

Publication Date: 2018.04.10 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes a customer edge device coupled to a provider edge device. The customer edge device provides a default virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance that receives a multicast stream from the provider edge device. The information handling system also includes a plurality of host devices and a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs). Each of the VLANs includes at least one of the host devices and is assigned to a subscribing VRF instance, with each of the subscribing VRF instances subscribing to the default VRF instance in order to receive a copy of the multicast stream from the provider edge device. The single copy of the multicast stream is transmitted over the PE-CE link regardless of the number of subscribing VRFs.