Distributed Routing Control in Large Communication Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunications networks face inefficiencies due to structural and operational complexities, particularly in routing control and information dissemination across large-scale networks with numerous nodes, where existing methods fail to efficiently manage link-state information and route determination.
Innovation Solution
A distributed control system where multiple network controllers, each managing a group of nodes, exchange link information to compute global routing tables and inverse routing tables, facilitating efficient route determination and state-transition management through a full mesh structure and spectral router connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional routing control methods based on broadcasting state-change of links are used, then network coverage can be extensive, but the efficiency of routing control and information dissemination deteriorates due to structural and operational complexities
Solution Approach 1:
The network is divided into multiple domains, each managed by a domain controller. This segmentation allows routing control to be distributed across multiple controllers rather than requiring a single centralized controller to manage the entire vast network, thereby improving routing control efficiency while maintaining extensive network coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to network control by organizing domain controllers in a hierarchy and implementing both intra-domain and inter-domain routing. This dimensional organization allows efficient management of large-scale networks by breaking down the complex routing problem into manageable hierarchical layers.
2Area of stationary object
If the number of nodes in the network increases to expand coverage, then network area increases, but the complexity of managing link-state information and route determination increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the vast network into multiple domains with separate domain controllers, the patent reduces control system complexity. Each domain controller manages only its local domain's link-state information, avoiding the need for any single controller to handle information from all nodes across the entire extensive network.
Solution Approach 2:
Domain controllers serve as intermediaries between individual nodes and the broader network. They aggregate and manage link-state information from their respective domains, simplifying the overall control structure by introducing these intermediary management layers that handle information processing locally before inter-domain communication.
3Ease of operation
If centralized routing control is implemented, then route determination can be unified, but the speed of communicating link-state changes and taking corrective actions slows down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments routing control into domain-level and network-level functions. Domain controllers independently determine routes within their domains, enabling faster local response to link-state changes. Only inter-domain routing requires coordination between multiple domain controllers, maintaining unity where needed while enabling speed in local operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Domain controllers pre-compute and maintain routing tables for their domains based on current link-state information. When a link-state change occurs, only the affected domain controller needs to update its tables and notify relevant neighboring domain controllers, rather than requiring a complete re-computation across the entire network, thus accelerating the response speed.
4Productivity
If distributed domain controllers are used to improve routing efficiency, then routing control speed improves, but the complexity of coordinating between multiple domain controllers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to organize multiple domain controllers, creating a structured coordination framework. This hierarchy reduces coordination complexity by establishing clear levels of authority and information flow, allowing distributed controllers to work together systematically rather than requiring peer-to-peer coordination among all controllers.
Data Source
AI summary
Multiple network controllers are interconnected in a full mesh structure, e.g., through a cyclical cross connector, to form a distributed control system for a network of a large number of nodes. A network controller acquires characterizing information of links emanating from a respective set of nodes, communicates the information to each other network controller, and determines a route set from each node of the respective set of nodes to each other node of the network. The network controller may determine, for each link included in the route set, identifiers of specific route sets which traverse the link. Accordingly, a state-change of any link in the network can be expeditiously communicated to network controllers to take corrective actions where necessary. A network controller may rank routes of a route set according to some criterion to facilitate selection of a favourable available route for a connection.