Edge Device VLAN Traffic Forwarding Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In networks with geographically dispersed data centers, traffic is often forwarded unnecessarily across sites, wasting processing resources as edge devices send and receive traffic for VLANs that are not active, leading to increased burden on the network.
Innovation Solution
Edge devices record associations between VLANs and virtual links, forwarding traffic only through determined active virtual links, reducing unnecessary traffic transmission and processing by identifying active VLANs from neighboring sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If edge devices forward traffic for all VLANs across geographically dispersed sites, then virtual machine migration and load sharing are facilitated, but processing resources are wasted on inactive VLANs and network burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having edge devices proactively exchange VLAN status information and maintain local records of which VLANs are active at remote sites before traffic forwarding decisions are made. This allows edge devices to pre-determine which traffic should be forwarded and which should be discarded, avoiding the waste of processing resources on inactive VLANs while maintaining the adaptability needed for virtual machine migration.
2Reliability
If edge devices forward traffic for all VLANs to all sites, then network connectivity is maintained, but unnecessary traffic increases network burden
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by extracting and removing unnecessary traffic from the network flow. Edge devices use their local VLAN status records to identify and discard traffic for VLANs that are not active at the destination site, effectively taking out only the necessary traffic from the overall flow. This maintains reliable connectivity for active VLANs while significantly reducing the total traffic volume burden on the network.
3Adaptability or versatility
If edge devices process and forward all received traffic, then all VLANs are supported, but device processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having edge devices pre-establish knowledge of remote VLAN status through information exchange protocols. Before actual traffic forwarding occurs, each edge device maintains a local record indicating which VLANs are active at remote sites. This preliminary knowledge allows devices to quickly determine whether to forward or discard incoming traffic without performing complex real-time analysis, thereby maintaining broad VLAN support while significantly improving processing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes traffic forwarding in a network where a virtual local area network (VLAN) exists in multiple network sites that are geographically dispersed and connected via virtual links. A first edge device (ED) at a first site receives, from a second ED at a second site, information identifying a VLAN of the second ED through a virtual link. The VLAN identified in the information is an active VLAN of the second ED. An association between (i) the VLAN of the second ED and (ii) the virtual link through which the information is received from the second ED is recorded. When forwarding traffic to the VLAN of the second ED, it is determined the virtual link associated with the VLAN of the second ED is determined based on the recorded association and the traffic is forwarded via the determined virtual link.