Data Transmission Device Flowlet Splitting for Port Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network traffic load imbalance leads to congestion and packet loss in data center networks, particularly due to large flows occupying all bandwidth, causing insufficient bandwidth for small flows and resulting in data transmission unreliability.
Innovation Solution
The method involves periodically inserting a delay between adjacent packet groups to actively construct sub-flows, splitting large flows and alleviating continuous congestion on network ports, thereby achieving better load balancing and increasing data transmission reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If large flows are transmitted continuously without interruption, then bandwidth utilization is high, but port congestion occurs and small flows cannot be forwarded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments continuous large flows into multiple flowlets by inserting idle periods between packet groups. This segmentation prevents any single flow from monopolizing port bandwidth continuously, allowing small flows to be forwarded during idle periods and improving overall transmission reliability while maintaining high bandwidth utilization.
2Ease of operation
If multiple large flows are mapped to the same link in ECMP or VLB mode, then flow quantity balancing is achieved, but traffic aggregation exceeds port capacity causing congestion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by inserting regular idle periods between packet groups of large flows. This periodic interruption prevents continuous traffic aggregation from exceeding port capacity, while still maintaining load balancing across multiple links through ECMP or VLB modes, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and productivity.
3Ease of operation
If leaf switches perform load balancing separately, then local load distribution is optimized, but downlink traffic aggregation at spine switches causes congestion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by proactively inserting idle periods in uplink traffic before it reaches spine switches. This preliminary intervention prevents downlink traffic aggregation congestion at spine switches, while leaf switches continue to perform local load balancing optimization, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and object-affected harmful factors.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a data transmission method and device. When at least one data flow is to be sent, a sub-flow is actively constructed for the data flow. In this way, the data flow is split, continuous congestion on a port of a switched network is eliminated, and a load balancing effect is good. The method includes: calculating a first duration based on at least one to-be-sent data flow and a first time interval, where the first time interval is a preset value, and different data flows in the at least one to-be-sent data flow have different 5-tuples; and sending a first data flow, where the first data flow belongs to the at least one to-be-sent data flow; where a plurality of packets of the first data flow are sent in a first time period, packets of the first data flow are sent in a second time period following a second time interval, a duration of the first time period and a duration of the second time period are equal to the first duration, and the second time interval is greater than or equal to the first time interval.