Distributed Traffic Quota Enforcement via Switch Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network traffic shaping techniques lack scalability with respect to WAN and Internet connections, connection speed, and the number of users, limiting their effectiveness in managing network traffic efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A distributed network traffic controller system that utilizes multiple switches and routers to measure and enforce traffic quotas, sending control signals to switches to manage bandwidth usage, with features like rate limiting and priority marking to prevent excessive traffic, and uses protocols like sFlow for real-time monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional stand-alone traffic shaping devices are used, then traffic measurement and enforcement can be performed locally, but the system lacks scalability with respect to WAN connections, connection speed, and number of users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the traffic shaping functionality into distributed network switches that perform local traffic measurement and enforcement. Each switch independently monitors traffic from multiple users and applies quota-based control, eliminating the need for a single complex stand-alone device. This segmentation enables the system to scale across multiple switches and users while maintaining manageable complexity at each node.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized traffic management system that acts as an intermediary between network switches and users. This mediator distributes traffic shaping policies to switches and receives traffic statistics from them, coordinating the distributed enforcement without requiring each switch to independently manage all users' traffic. This intermediary layer enables scalability while keeping individual switch complexity low.
2Productivity
If distributed traffic control is implemented across multiple switches, then scalability is improved, but real-time monitoring and coordination become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where distributed switches continuously report traffic statistics to the centralized management system, which in turn adjusts traffic shaping policies and sends updated quotas back to switches in real-time. This closed-loop feedback enables the system to maintain accurate traffic monitoring and dynamic policy enforcement across multiple switches, resolving the challenge of coordinating distributed control while improving overall traffic management efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A network traffic controller includes components adapted to receive traffic from a multitude of switches and to compare the traffic data to one or more threshold values. The threshold values may represent usage quotas. If the traffic generated by a host is detected as exceeding such usage quota, a traffic control signal is sent to the switch connecting the host to the network. The control signal may instruct the switch to mark the associated host's traffic as low priority, or rate limit the interface so as to limit the amount of traffic that is allowed onto the network, or block the traffic altogether.