Distributed Tunnel Management via Token-Based Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service providers face difficulties in effectively managing the number and total bandwidth of CE-CE tunnels in a computer network with distributed control policies, as it is cumbersome for each provider edge device to track established and torn-down tunnels across the network.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a distributed 'token-based' algorithm where path computation devices configure a maximum amount of available tunnels, decrementing for tunnel establishment and incrementing for tear-down, with updates exchanged through BGP advertisements, allowing tunnels to be established only when the available amount exceeds the requested amount.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a distributed control policy is used where each PE determines whether the customer may exceed the contracted number of tunnels, then autonomy and scalability are improved, but the complexity of tracking and estimating tunnel amounts across the network increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized tunnel manager as an intermediary component that maintains global knowledge of tunnel establishment and teardown events. This mediator receives notifications from PEs about tunnel changes and updates the centralized tunnel count, allowing distributed PEs to query the current tunnel amount without having to track all network-wide tunnel events themselves. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining distributed control autonomy while reducing individual PE tracking complexity through a specialized intermediary component.
2Measurement precision
If each PE independently tracks tunnel establishment and teardown events across the network, then real-time accuracy is improved, but the computational burden and operational complexity on each PE increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tunnel tracking function into two distinct parts: (1) local PE-level event detection and notification generation, and (2) centralized tunnel count maintenance and query handling. Each PE only needs to detect local tunnel events and send notifications to the centralized tunnel manager, while the tunnel manager maintains the accurate global count. This segmentation improves measurement precision through centralized aggregation while reducing operational burden on individual PEs by eliminating the need for them to perform complex network-wide tracking.
3Measurement precision
If a centralized authority manages tunnel limits, then control accuracy is improved, but system complexity and single-point failure risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a hybrid approach where the centralized tunnel manager provides self-service capabilities by automatically maintaining the tunnel count and providing query responses to PEs. The system uses event-driven notifications where PEs automatically report tunnel establishment and teardown events to the tunnel manager, which then autonomously updates the centralized state. This self-service mechanism improves control accuracy through centralized management while reducing overall system complexity by eliminating the need for complex inter-PE communication protocols and centralized authority coordination logic.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a maximum amount of available tunnels in a computer network to be shared by one or more path computation devices is configured on the path computation devices. Each path computation device then decrements the amount of available tunnels in response to establishment of a tunnel, and increments the amount of available tunnels in response to destruction (i.e., tear-down) of an established tunnel. Updates to the amount of available tunnels in the network may be exchanged among the path computation devices through advertisements issued by one or more devices after decrementing or incrementing the amount. A tunnel may be established (e.g., computed) in response to the amount of available tunnels being greater than or equal to the amount of the tunnel to be established.