Forwarding Element Configuration via In-Band Data-Plane Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing forwarding elements are vulnerable to control plane processor failures and incur high costs due to the use of high-end processors, which also require additional expensive components like cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A forwarding element configured through in-band data-plane messages from a remote controller, featuring configurable message-processing stages, storage queues, and a data-plane configurator that processes and stores configuration messages, ensuring reliable communication and reducing dependency on control plane processors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-end control plane processors are used to manage forwarding elements, then the forwarding element can be configured and controlled, but the cost increases and reliability decreases due to processor failures and additional expensive components
Solution Approach 1:
The control plane functionality is extracted from the forwarding element and placed in a separate remote controller. The forwarding element retains only the data plane circuits for forwarding packets, while configuration and control functions are moved to the remote controller that communicates via in-band data-plane messages, eliminating the need for high-end control plane processors in the forwarding element itself
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into two independent components: a forwarding element with data plane circuits and a separate remote controller with control plane functions. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the forwarding element focusing on high-speed packet forwarding and the remote controller handling configuration and management tasks
2Ease of operation
If high-end control plane processors are used, then control functionality is provided, but the expense increases due to processor cost and additional components like cooling systems
Solution Approach 1:
The expensive control plane processor and its associated cooling systems are extracted from the forwarding element and relocated to a separate remote controller. The forwarding element uses only simple data plane circuits for packet forwarding, eliminating the need for high-end processors and reducing overall system cost
Solution Approach 2:
The control plane functionality is copied to a separate remote controller that communicates with the forwarding element through in-band data-plane messages. This allows the control plane to be implemented on standard hardware rather than requiring expensive specialized processors in the forwarding element
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention provide a forwarding element that can be configured through in-band data-plane messages from a remote controller that is a physically separate machine from the forwarding element. The forwarding element of some embodiments has data plane circuits that include several configurable message-processing stages, several storage queues, and a data-plane configurator. A set of one or more message-processing stages of the data plane are configured (1) to process configuration messages received by the data plane from the remote controller and (2) to store the configuration messages in a set of one or more storage queues. The data-plane configurator receives the configuration messages stored in the set of storage queues and configures one or more of the configurable message-processing stages based on configuration data in the configuration messages.