Physical-Layer Ethernet Encryption Using Alignment Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The MACSec encryption technology in Ethernet networks occupies significant user service bandwidth and leads to high power consumption due to the addition of encryption information in Ethernet frames, affecting data transmission rates and security.
Innovation Solution
Encrypting data at the physical layer using alignment markers (AMs) to indicate encryption parameters, allowing for secure data transmission without occupying user service bandwidth, thereby increasing data transmission rates and enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If MACSec encryption is implemented at the data link layer, then data transmission security is improved, but user bandwidth is occupied and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the encryption function from the data link layer to the physical layer, representing a dimensional change in the OSI model hierarchy. This allows encryption to occur in a different operational dimension where alignment markers can be embedded without consuming user service bandwidth, thus resolving the contradiction between security and bandwidth utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces alignment markers as intermediary elements that carry encryption parameters within the physical layer data stream. These markers serve as mediators between the encryption function and the data transmission process, enabling security without occupying user bandwidth by utilizing the physical layer transport mechanism
2Reliability
If MACSec encryption is implemented at the data link layer, then data transmission security is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By relocating encryption to the physical layer, the patent changes the operational dimension where encryption occurs. This enables the use of alignment markers that are inherently part of the physical layer protocol, eliminating the need for additional hardware resources and reducing power consumption while maintaining security
3Productivity
If encryption parameters are embedded in alignment markers, then data sending rate is improved, but data stream structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the alignment markers multi-functional by embedding encryption parameters within their existing structure. This universal approach allows the same alignment marker mechanism to serve both its original synchronization function and the additional function of carrying encryption parameters, avoiding increased structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters embedded in alignment markers to include encryption information. By modifying the content parameters of existing alignment markers rather than adding new structural elements, the data sending rate improves while structural complexity remains manageable
Data Source
AI summary
This application is applied to the field of communication technologies, and provides a data transmission method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system, to resolve a problem in the conventional technology that user service bandwidth is used for encrypted transmission. The method includes generating N ciphertext data streams, where a first ciphertext data stream is any ciphertext data stream in the N ciphertext data streams. The first ciphertext data stream includes at least two first alignment markers AMs and at least two ciphertext data segments. One ciphertext data segment is included between every two first AMs, and one first AM is included between every two ciphertext data segments. The at least two first AMs are used for aligning data of the N ciphertext data streams.