Ethernet Ring Protection Protocol Scaling via Logical Control Plane
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Ethernet Ring Protection Protocol G.8032 faces scaling issues due to excessive processing strain when managing multiple virtual rings, which impacts protection switching times as the number of virtual rings increases, leading to inefficiencies in network deployments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a single Ring Automated Protection Switching (R-APS) channel shared across multiple virtual rings, with a virtual ring instance indicator in messages to differentiate and manage each ring, decoupling the location of R-APS channel blocks from virtual channel data blocks, and using a per-logical ring control plane protocol to reduce processing load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate R-APS channels are used for each virtual ring, then each virtual ring has independent control plane management, but the processing strain at ring nodes increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate R-APS channels into a single shared R-APS channel that serves multiple virtual rings. Instead of maintaining independent control planes for each virtual ring, the system consolidates control plane functions into one shared channel, reducing processing strain at ring nodes while maintaining protection switching capabilities across multiple virtual rings through message filtering based on virtual ring identifiers
Solution Approach 2:
The single R-APS channel is designed to perform multiple functions by serving multiple virtual rings simultaneously. The channel handles control plane messages for different virtual rings by identifying them through virtual ring instance indicators in the messages, allowing one channel to replace what would traditionally require multiple dedicated channels
2Device complexity
If a single shared R-APS channel is used for multiple virtual rings, then processing strain is reduced, but message differentiation and routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces virtual ring instance indicators as intermediary elements within R-APS messages. These indicators act as mediators that enable the single shared channel to differentiate between messages belonging to different virtual rings. The indicators are embedded in standard R-APS message fields, allowing nodes to filter and route messages to the appropriate virtual ring without requiring complex external differentiation mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by embedding virtual ring instance indicators specifically within the R-APS message structure where they are needed for differentiation. Rather than requiring global changes to the message format or complex external routing mechanisms, the differentiation capability is localized within the message content itself, allowing nodes to process only relevant messages for their configured virtual rings
3Reliability
If separate control planes are maintained for each virtual ring, then protection switching can be independently managed, but protection switching time increases due to processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
By merging control plane functions into a single shared R-APS channel, the system reduces the processing overhead at ring nodes. Instead of maintaining and processing separate control planes for each virtual ring, nodes process a single stream of control messages filtered by virtual ring instance indicators, thereby reducing the time required for protection switching while maintaining independent management capabilities
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for scaling performance of Ethernet Ring Protection Protocol. Specifically, the systems and methods may apply to G.8032 and may provide protection switching control plane performance scaling benefits. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention summarizes the per “virtual” ring control plane protocol into a single logical ring control plane protocol. Advantageously, the present invention transforms the G.8032 protocol from a per-virtual ring protocol to a per-logical ring control protocol. The mechanism/methodology that is used is to include minimal per-virtual ring instance information in to the Ring Automated Protection Switching (R-APS) (control) frames. Additionally, the present invention cleanly decouples the placement of the R-APS (control) channel block location on the ring from that of the virtual channel data blocks. Current G.8032 specifications tightly couple the location of each R-APS (control) channel block and the virtual channel block that it is managing.