Edge Device Set Selection for LAG Bandwidth Efficiency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LAG-based networks waste bandwidth by flooding traffic to all member nodes, where only one node forwards the traffic to the destination, leading to inefficient load balancing.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method where a first edge device selects an edge device set that excludes certain nodes, sending data units only through ports of the included nodes, using methods like hash functions to determine optimal paths and reduce unnecessary traffic distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traffic is flooded to all member nodes of the LAG, then load balancing is achieved, but network bandwidth is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each edge device's forwarding behavior adaptive to its local role in the multicast tree. Root edge devices flood traffic to all LAG members, while non-root edge devices forward only to their attached receiver groups. This localized differentiation eliminates unnecessary bandwidth consumption at non-root devices while preserving load balancing at root devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the LAG-based network into hierarchical roles: root edge devices and non-root edge devices. This segmentation allows different forwarding strategies to be applied to different segments. Root devices perform flooding for load balancing, while non-root devices perform selective forwarding, thereby resolving the contradiction between load balancing and bandwidth efficiency in different network segments.
2Ease of operation
If traffic is flooded to all member nodes, then traffic distribution is simplified, but network efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic role assignment where edge devices can transition between root and non-root roles based on real-time network conditions and receiver group locations. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize network efficiency by minimizing flooded traffic while maintaining simplified operation through automatic role determination based on device position in the multicast tree.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a first edge device configured to receive a data unit destined to a peripheral processing device that is operatively coupled to a network interconnect via a LAG associated with a second edge device and a third edge device. The first edge device is configured to select an edge device set that includes the third edge device and excludes the second edge device, from a group of edge device sets. Each edge device set from the group of edge device sets is directly coupled to the peripheral processing device. The first edge device is configured to send an instance of the data unit to each edge device from the edge device set such that the third edge device sends an instance of the data unit to the peripheral processing device based on a selection method that omits ports on the second edge device as potential selections.