Dynamic Service Overlay Updates in Hub-and-Spoke DMVPN

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hub-and-spoke packet switching networks, updating service capabilities requires dropping existing routing adjacency and secure protocol channels, leading to session interruptions and data traffic loss, as current methods necessitate tearing down established connections to implement new service headers and metadata.

Innovation Solution

Establishing and maintaining routing adjacency and secure protocol channels while negotiating and updating service overlay capabilities using protocols like NHRP and IPSec, allowing seamless transitions without dropping established tunnels or adjacencies, enabling continuous packet communication during capability updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If service capability updates are implemented by dropping existing routing adjacency and secure protocol channels, then new service headers and metadata can be installed, but session interruptions and data traffic loss occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice capability update abilityVSAvoidsession continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes a new routing adjacency with updated service capabilities before dropping the old one. The control plane device negotiates new service overlay capabilities including service headers and metadata in advance, so that when the transition occurs, the data plane already has the necessary configuration to handle updated packets without interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a control plane device as an intermediary that manages the transition between old and new service capabilities. This control plane negotiates and coordinates the capability updates between network nodes, allowing the data plane to maintain existing routing adjacencies while gradually transitioning to new service headers and metadata formats.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If existing routing adjacency and secure protocol channels are maintained during service capability updates, then session continuity is preserved, but implementing new service headers and metadata becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession continuityVSAvoidcapability update process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent separates the control plane functions from the data plane functions. The control plane handles the complex negotiation and coordination of service capability updates, while the data plane simply executes the configured actions. This segmentation allows the data plane to maintain simple, stable routing adjacencies while the control plane manages the complexity of capability transitions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control plane device performs all necessary negotiations and configurations in advance before activating new service capabilities. This preliminary action includes agreeing on new service overlay capabilities, headers, and metadata formats, so that when the data plane transitions, it does so smoothly without complex real-time decision-making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If service overlay capabilities are updated dynamically, then network adaptability improves, but maintaining continuous packet communication during updates becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice overlay update capabilityVSAvoidpacket communication continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains continuous packet communication by establishing new routing adjacencies in parallel with existing ones during capability updates. The data plane continues to forward packets using the old routing adjacency while the new adjacency with updated service capabilities is being negotiated and configured, ensuring no interruption in useful action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic service capability updates by allowing the network to transition from static capability configurations to dynamic ones. The control plane can negotiate and install new service overlay capabilities, headers, and metadata at any time, while the data plane adaptively switches between old and new configurations based on current routing adjacency states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10341140B2Dynamic network service overlay establishment in hub-and-spoke packet switching networks

Publication Date: 2019.07.02 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a packet switching device is configured to operate as a spoke or a hub in a Dynamic Multipoint Virtual Private Network (DMVPN) using one or more initially negotiated service overlay capabilities including service encapsulation to use in communicating service overlay data packets between the packet switching device and another device (e.g., spoke, hub) of the DMVPN over an established tunnel (e.g., secure protocol channel). The packet switching device is further configured to negotiate updated one or more service overlay capabilities including updated service encapsulation to use in communicating service overlay data packets with another device (e.g., spoke, hub) without dropping the already established tunnel. In one embodiment, the negotiation between the packet switching device and another device (e.g., spoke, hub) of the DMVPN uses Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP). In one embodiment, the service encapsulation uses Network Service Header (NSH).