Flow Resiliency via Multi-Path Replication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data communication protocols, such as Ethernet and IP, rely on the transport layer for reliable delivery, which can degrade performance in real-time applications like financial markets due to TCP retransmissions.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with routing logic that replicates data flows across multiple paths, using a primary and secondary data path to ensure resiliency against link and node failures, and selects the most stable path for packet forwarding, employing techniques like VNET, VRF, and MTR to traverse diverse paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP layer retransmissions are used to provide reliable delivery, then delivery reliability is improved, but application performance significantly degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data flow into multiple parallel paths (primary and secondary data paths) rather than relying on a single path with retransmission. By dividing the traffic flow across multiple independent paths, the system achieves reliable delivery without requiring TCP retransmissions, thus maintaining application performance while improving delivery reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-establishing multiple data paths (primary and secondary) before failures occur. The secondary path is prepared in advance as a backup, allowing immediate failover without waiting for TCP retransmission timeouts, thereby maintaining both reliability and performance.
2Reliability
If multiple data paths are used to ensure resiliency, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic path selection where the routing logic can adaptively switch between primary and secondary data paths based on real-time conditions. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain simplicity by using a default primary path while having the capability to activate secondary paths only when needed, balancing reliability improvements with controlled complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary routing logic component that manages the complexity of multiple data paths. This intermediary layer handles path selection, monitoring, and failover decisions, isolating the complexity from the rest of the system and making the multi-path architecture manageable without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, packets for a selected flow are replicated and sent over one or more diverse paths, such as a primary path and at least one secondary path, to a destination switching device. At the destination switching device, one copy of the replicated packets is selected for delivery to the destination, and the remaining copies are discarded. In the event that packets are not received at the destination switching device due to loss of connection on the primary path or packets are not timely delivered due to congestion on the primary path, a different path may be selected as the primary path.