Data-Center Network Architecture With Service Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Business networks, particularly e-commerce and data-center networks, face high design and development costs due to the need for customized features like anomaly detection and intrusion prevention, which are not universally required, leading to inefficient resource allocation and increased expenses.
Innovation Solution
A network architecture and method that configures core, aggregation, and edge switches with service modules for intelligent services such as firewall, content-switching, and intrusion-detection, allowing for flexible and scalable server farm environments, optimizing security and reliability by integrating service intelligence at aggregation and core layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom networks are designed and built with specialized features for each application, then application-specific requirements are met, but design and development costs increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal network architecture where core and aggregation switches can perform multiple functions including routing, switching, and service delivery. This multi-functionality allows a single network infrastructure to serve diverse applications without requiring custom-designed networks for each application, thereby reducing design and development costs while maintaining adaptability to specific application requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The network architecture is segmented into distinct functional layers (core, aggregation, access) with specialized service modules that can be independently configured and deployed. This segmentation allows flexible composition of network services for different applications without redesigning the entire network, reducing complexity while maintaining versatility
2Reliability
If service modules are integrated at core and aggregation layers, then security and reliability are optimized, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Service modules act as intermediaries between the core/aggregation switches and the access network or external networks. These modular service components handle security and reliability functions (such as firewall, intrusion detection, and quality of service) in a standardized manner, optimizing security without significantly increasing overall network complexity through their modular, plug-and-play nature
Data Source
AI summary
A data-center network architecture. The data-center network architecture incorporates a front end having an aggregation layer exhibiting integrated service-module intelligence. A server farm connects the front end with a storage network. In a specific embodiment, the aggregation layer includes plural interconnected multilayer switches incorporating service-module intelligence implemented via one or more service modules. Plural layer-2 switches communicate with the plural multilayer switches. The server farm includes one or more servers that are dual homed or multihomed with the plural layer-2 switches. The storage network includes plural interconnected multilayer directors and one or more Fibre Channel hosts using Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) that interface one or more data-storage devices to the server farm.