Feature Peer Network Service Graph Relocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for managing packet/application flow services in networks, such as the star/flower arrangement and service header-based routing, are inefficient and costly, leading to sub-optimal performance, increased latency, and difficulty in implementing dynamic feature networks and complex topologies.
Innovation Solution
The system determines a service graph of feature peers based on packet inspection and uses protocols like Openflow to configure network devices, allowing packets to be forwarded without changing the application flow, enabling dynamic instantiation and redundancy of service graphs across locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the star/flower arrangement is used to manage packet flow services, then service features can be provided through feature peers, but network cost and latency increase due to double traversal through feature switch and routers
Solution Approach 1:
The network path is segmented into direct feature peer-to-feature peer connections, eliminating the need for double traversal through the feature switch. Packets are routed directly between feature peers using optimized paths, reducing latency while maintaining service feature provision capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary routing mechanism that enables feature peers to communicate directly without requiring traversal through the central feature switch. This intermediary routing layer optimizes packet paths, reducing the number of hops and associated latency.
2Ease of operation
If the star/flower arrangement with feature switch is used, then traffic can be directed to feature peers, but configuration complexity increases due to tunnel configuration and load balancing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex tunnel configuration and load balancing logic from the feature switch and relocates it to the border router. This extraction simplifies the feature switch's configuration requirements while maintaining traffic direction capabilities, as the border router handles the complex routing decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the routing functionality at the border router that replicates the traffic direction capabilities of the feature switch without requiring complex tunnel configurations. This copying approach maintains operational ease while reducing configuration complexity.
3Reliability
If dedicated replica of feature peers is provisioned for resilience, then failure recovery is improved, but network cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the resilience functionality into the existing feature peer infrastructure by enabling dynamic service graph instantiation. Instead of provisioning dedicated replicas, the system can dynamically instantiate service graphs at alternative locations, achieving failure recovery by consolidating resources rather than duplicating them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic service graph instantiation that allows the network to adaptively relocate service functionality in response to failures. Service graphs can be dynamically created and moved to different locations based on network conditions and failure scenarios, providing resilience without static resource duplication.
4Ease of operation
If service header-based routing is used, then packet routing through feature peers is enabled, but performance degrades due to header processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the service header processing overhead from the packet forwarding path and relocates it to the border router. By performing service header processing at the network edge rather than at each feature peer, the system maintains routing capability while improving packet forwarding performance through reduced processing overhead at critical path nodes.
Data Source
AI summary
A device receives feature peer packets including feature peer state information. The feature peer packets are received from a first set of feature peers provided at a first location and associated with a service graph associated with a user device of a customer. The device receives customer packets including customer state information, and receives a request for the feature peer packets and the customer packets based on movement of the user device to a second location. The device provides, based on the request, the feature peer packets and the customer packets to a storage device at the second location. The storage device provides the feature peer packets and the customer packets to a second set of feature peers provided at the second location. The second set of feature peers establish a relocated service graph for the user device based on the feature peer packets and the customer packets.