Virtual Network Device with Encapsulated Port Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network devices often require more physical ports than are available, leading to reduced service or costly upgrades due to a fixed data rate in network ports.
Innovation Solution
A virtual network device with virtual ports that increase the number of available physical ports by using a framing circuit to determine frame types, encapsulate frames, and utilize transmit virtual ports to manage next hops, coupled with a transmit virtual switch to selectively connect to network physical ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional network devices use fixed physical ports with predetermined data rates, then the device structure is simple and reliable, but the number of available ports is limited and cannot accommodate increasing service demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of physical ports through virtual port devices that can be instantiated in software. Each virtual port appears as a functional port to end users but maps to shared physical infrastructure behind the scenes, allowing numerous virtual ports to be created from fewer physical ports without adding physical hardware complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal port device that can dynamically serve multiple functions and multiple virtual ports through a single physical port interface. The port device can adapt its behavior based on the type of traffic and the destination, allowing one physical port to fulfill the role of multiple specialized ports through virtualization and encapsulation mechanisms
2Quantity of substance
If more physical ports are added to accommodate service demands, then the number of available ports increases, but the cost of upgrades increases and service is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of purchasing and installing additional physical ports, the system creates virtual copies of port functionality through software-based virtual port devices. This allows the organization to obtain additional port capacity without the capital expenditure of hardware upgrades, eliminating upgrade costs while still providing increased port availability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic port allocation where virtual ports can be created, activated, and configured on-demand without physical installation. The system can dynamically assign physical port resources to different virtual ports based on traffic patterns and service requirements, providing flexible port capacity that adapts to changing demands without costly hardware changes
3Adaptability or versatility
If physical ports are used with fixed data rates, then the network configuration is simple, but the ability to accommodate higher data rates is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual port devices that can negotiate and support higher data rates independently of the underlying physical port constraints. The virtual port layer provides an abstraction that allows end devices to access high-speed connectivity through encapsulated tunnels, effectively copying high-rate port functionality without requiring physical port upgrades
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual port device as an intermediary between end devices and the physical network infrastructure. This intermediary handles data rate negotiation, encapsulation, and tunneling, allowing end devices to achieve higher effective data rates through the virtual layer while the physical infrastructure remains unchanged, thus bridging the gap between fixed physical rates and dynamic high-rate requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual network device includes a framing circuit that determines a virtual exit device associated with each input frame of a plurality of input frames based on a frame type for each input frame. A plurality of first encapsulated frames is formed based on encapsulation of the plurality of input frames. A plurality of transmit virtual ports, coupled to the framing circuit, determines next hops in a virtual network for the plurality of first encapsulated frames based on the virtual exit devices corresponding to the plurality of first encapsulated frames, and encapsulates the plurality of first encapsulated frames to form a plurality of second encapsulated frames. A transmit virtual switch selectively couples one or more transmit virtual ports to a network physical port based on whether a full signal from the one or more transmit virtual ports has been received by the transmit virtual switch.