FlexE Path Consolidation Reducing Signaling Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
The management complexity and signaling overheads required for maintaining multiple FlexE paths in flexible Ethernet networks increase, leading to inefficiencies in bandwidth management and service flow transmission.
Innovation Solution
A method for establishing and managing FlexE paths by reusing existing sessions and slot resources, where a second FlexE path is established between forwarding nodes to consolidate service flows, reducing the number of paths that need to be maintained and minimizing signaling overheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple FlexE paths are established to transmit different service flows, then service separation and QoS assurance are improved, but management complexity and signaling overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple service flows onto a single FlexE path by establishing a shared FlexE path between forwarding nodes. Instead of maintaining separate FlexE paths for different service flows, the invention consolidates them into one path while using different slot resources within that path to carry different services, thereby reducing management complexity while preserving service separation through slot-level multiplexing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes a single FlexE path serve multiple functions by enabling it to carry multiple service flows simultaneously through slot multiplexing. The shared FlexE path between forwarding nodes functions as a universal transport medium that can accommodate different service flows with different QoS requirements, eliminating the need for dedicated paths for each service.
2Reliability
If multiple FlexE paths are established to transmit different service flows, then exclusive bandwidth assurance is improved, but signaling overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple service flows into a single FlexE path while maintaining exclusive bandwidth assurance through slot-level resource allocation. By merging paths and using different slots within the shared path for different services, the system reduces signaling overheads associated with path management while preserving bandwidth guarantees through slot reservations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from path-level resource allocation to slot-level resource allocation within a shared path. This dimensional change from one level (path) to another level (slot within path) allows multiple service flows to share the same physical path while maintaining dedicated bandwidth through slot assignments, thereby reducing signaling overheads while preserving bandwidth assurance.
3Reliability
If separate FlexE paths are maintained for different service flows, then service isolation is improved, but the quantity of paths to be maintained increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate FlexE paths into a single shared FlexE path between forwarding nodes. By combining multiple paths into one and using slot multiplexing to carry different service flows, the invention reduces the quantity of paths to be maintained while preserving service isolation through slot-level separation of different services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where multiple service flows are nested within a single FlexE path through slot multiplexing. Each service flow is assigned specific slots within the shared path, creating a hierarchical organization where services are isolated at the slot level while sharing the path infrastructure, thereby reducing the number of paths needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a network device for establishing FlexE path includes a first forwarding node receiving a first path establishment request message sent by a first source node, where the first path establishment request message is used to establish a first FlexE path between the first source node and a first destination node, and the first FlexE path is used to transmit a first service flow; the first forwarding node establishing a second FlexE path between the first forwarding node and a second forwarding node based on the first path establishment request message, and deleting an established third FlexE path between the first forwarding node and the second forwarding node after the second FlexE path is established; and the first forwarding node establishing and storing a correspondence between the first FlexE path and the second FlexE path.