Data Relay Device for Multi-Level Switch Port Profile Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The VSI discovery protocol faces difficulties in automatically setting port profiles for switches connected at multiple levels, particularly in cloud data center environments where communication paths involve multiple switches, leading to challenges in managing virtual machine migrations and network bandwidth allocation.
Innovation Solution
A data relay device and method that includes a processor to receive a virtual machine identifier and determine if it is associated with another port, transferring setting requests for port profiles to an upper-level switch in the communication path, ensuring that port profiles are automatically set across multiple levels of switches during virtual machine migrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the VSI discovery protocol is used for automatic port profile setting, then the automation of migration is improved, but the protocol cannot handle multiple levels of switches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where switches forward VSI discovery protocol messages to upper-level switches. When a switch receives a PRE-ASSOC or ASSOC message, it determines whether to process the message locally or forward it upward based on whether the VSI ID is stored in its VSI table. This intermediary forwarding behavior enables the protocol to operate across multiple switch levels while maintaining automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the VSI discovery protocol from a single-level to a multi-level hierarchical structure by adding the dimension of message forwarding between switches at different levels. The protocol now operates not only within a single switch but also across the hierarchical network structure, allowing automatic port profile setting throughout the entire network.
2Manufacturing precision
If port profiles are manually configured, then control precision is improved, but the complexity of migration management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling switches to automatically determine and apply port profiles without manual intervention. When a switch receives a PRE-ASSOC message, it automatically queries the VSI table, determines the appropriate port profile, and applies it without requiring administrator intervention. This eliminates manual configuration while maintaining precision through automated VSI table lookups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by having switches pre-configure port profiles before VM migration occurs. The VSI discovery protocol allows switches to prepare and apply the correct port profiles in advance during the pre-copy phase, ensuring that network paths are ready before the actual migration begins, thus reducing overall migration complexity.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple communication paths are used, then network bandwidth is improved, but the difficulty of automatic port profile setting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where switches send PRE-ASSOC-CONF and ASSOC-CONF messages back to the source server after processing port profile requests. This feedback loop allows the source server to verify that port profiles have been correctly applied across multiple paths, enabling automatic configuration even in complex multipath environments where traditional unidirectional protocols fail.
Data Source
AI summary
A data relay device includes a memory and a processor. The processor executes a data relay process includes determining that determining whether or not a storage device, which stores a virtual machine identifier of a virtual machine operated by the server connected with the computer and a port, stores the received virtual machine identifier in association with another port. The data relay process includes transferring that transfers the setting request of the port profile to a data relay device of an upper level higher than the data relay device in a communication path through which the virtual machine represented by the virtual machine identifier performs communication when it is determined that the received virtual machine identifier is not stored in association with the other port.