ECMP Hardware Resource Allocation via Interface Set Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network devices face performance degradation due to frequent transfers of equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) groups between hardware resource groups, which are costly in terms of network latency and processing resources, as the current hardware resource groups often become inadequate as new interfaces are identified, leading to inefficient utilization of resources.
Innovation Solution
The network device selects optimal hardware resources based on network architecture information to accommodate the maximum number of interfaces, minimizing the need for transfers between hardware resource groups by dynamically allocating resources that can handle changing interface numbers, thereby reducing the number of moves and improving performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If hardware resource groups are allocated with fixed size, then device complexity is reduced, but ECMP groups must be frequently transferred when interface numbers change, increasing network latency and processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the hardware resource group size adaptable rather than fixed. The system dynamically determines the number of interfaces in an ECMP group and allocates hardware resource groups with sizes that match the actual interface count, allowing the resource allocation to adapt as interfaces are added or removed from ECMP groups without requiring transfers between resource groups of inadequate size.
2Productivity
If hardware resource groups are allocated to accommodate maximum interfaces, then ECMP group transfers are minimized, but initial resource allocation requires more processing resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining the final number of interfaces in an ECMP group before allocating hardware resource groups. The system performs interface discovery and counting in advance, then allocates appropriately sized hardware resource groups from the start, preventing the need for later transfers and avoiding the processing overhead of dynamic reallocation while ensuring optimal resource utilization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hardware resource groups are frequently transferred to accommodate growing ECMP groups, then adaptability is improved, but network performance degrades due to transfer overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining the final number of interfaces in an ECMP group before allocating hardware resource groups. The system performs interface discovery and counting in advance, then allocates appropriately sized hardware resource groups from the start, preventing the need for later transfers and avoiding the processing overhead of dynamic reallocation while ensuring optimal resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the hardware resource group size adaptable rather than fixed. The system dynamically determines the number of interfaces in an ECMP group and allocates hardware resource groups with sizes that match the actual interface count, allowing the resource allocation to adapt as interfaces are added or removed from ECMP groups without requiring transfers between resource groups of inadequate size.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for allocating hardware resources for an equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) group based on information about the network architecture. A table in memory may include a plurality of entries. Each entry may include interface set and a number of interfaces. Each interface set may represent a list of interfaces for the network device for a given network connection. The network device may receive a list of interfaces for allocating resource for an EMCP group. The network device may select an entry from the table by identifying an interface set that includes all of the interfaces for the ECMP group. The network device may determine a size of the ECMP group using a number of interfaces for the identified interface set from the entry from the table and allocate hardware resources (e.g., memory) for the ECMP group based on the determined size of the ECMP group.