Dynamic Load Balancing for Network Port Groups

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional flow-based load balancing for port groups in communication networks often results in suboptimal link utilization, leading to over-subscription and congestion issues despite available bandwidth, as it fails to efficiently distribute traffic across multiple communication paths.

Innovation Solution

Implementing dynamic load balancing through a network device with multiple queues for each output port, where a load balancer identifies and selects the most utilized port group member based on queue occupancy levels and flow hashing, ensuring packets are forwarded to the least congested virtual output queue, thereby optimizing link utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional flow-based load balancing is used for port groups, then traffic distribution is simplified, but link utilization is suboptimal and congestion occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload balancing operationVSAvoidlink utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic load balancing by continuously monitoring queue occupancy levels and adapting traffic distribution in real-time. The system transitions from static flow-based hashing to dynamic selection based on current queue depths, allowing the load balancer to respond to changing traffic patterns and utilization conditions, thereby optimizing link utilization while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs feedback mechanisms by monitoring queue occupancy levels and using this information to make informed load balancing decisions. The load balancer receives feedback about current queue depths and adjusts traffic distribution accordingly, selecting queues with lower occupancy to avoid congestion and maximize link utilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If traffic is distributed across multiple paths, then bandwidth utilization improves, but queue occupancy imbalance occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth utilizationVSAvoidqueue occupancy balance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The load balancing system operates autonomously by automatically monitoring queue occupancy levels and making real-time decisions about traffic distribution. The system serves itself by detecting congestion conditions and redistributing traffic without external intervention, thereby maintaining bandwidth utilization while dynamically balancing queue occupancy across multiple paths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the load balancing parameter from static flow-based hashing to dynamic queue occupancy-based selection. By varying the selection criterion based on current queue depths, the system adapts traffic distribution to maintain balanced occupancy across queues while maximizing overall bandwidth utilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8467294B2Dynamic load balancing for port groups

Publication Date: 2013.06.18 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet at an input port of a network device, the input port having a plurality of queues with at least one queue for each output port at the network device, identifying a port group for transmitting the packet from the network device, the port group having a plurality of members each associated with one of the output ports, and selecting one of the queues based on utilization of the members. An apparatus for load balancing is also disclosed.