Forwarding Plane MAC Address Request Handling in OpenFlow Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile core networks employing OPENFLOW technologies, packet transmission failures occur due to the separation of the forwarding plane from the control plane, leading to inefficiencies in MAC address learning and data packet forwarding.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a forwarding plane apparatus forwards MAC address requests to a serving gateway control plane apparatus, which acquires the necessary MAC addresses and responds, ensuring successful packet transmission from an access network to the mobile core network by maintaining a correspondence between IP addresses and MAC addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If OPENFLOW technologies are applied to mobile core network with separation of forwarding plane and control plane, then network controllability is improved, but packet transmission reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a serving gateway control plane apparatus as an intermediary between the forwarding plane apparatus and the base station. This intermediary maintains the IP-MAC address correspondence and coordinates the MAC address acquisition process, ensuring reliable packet transmission while preserving the separated architecture benefits. The control plane apparatus acts as a mediator that resolves the contradiction by centralizing address management functionality.
2Quantity of substance
If forwarding plane apparatus does not save IP-MAC address correspondence, then device memory usage is reduced, but MAC address acquisition efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the IP-MAC address correspondence storage function from the forwarding plane apparatus and relocates it to the serving gateway control plane apparatus. This extraction allows the forwarding plane to maintain minimal memory usage while the control plane apparatus handles address lookup and acquisition, resolving the contradiction between memory conservation and acquisition efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If MAC address request is broadcast to all nodes, then MAC address discovery capability is improved, but network traffic overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the serving gateway control plane apparatus receives MAC address requests from the forwarding plane, performs targeted lookups in its stored correspondence, and returns specific MAC address information. This feedback-based approach replaces broad broadcasting with directed queries, maintaining discovery capability while minimizing unnecessary network traffic and energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A packet transmission method, a device, and a communications system, where the method includes receiving, by a forwarding plane apparatus, a media access control (MAC) address request broadcast by a base station, where the MAC address request includes a target Internet Protocol (IP) address and is used to request a MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, forwarding the MAC address request to a control plane apparatus when the forwarding plane apparatus does not save a first correspondence between the target IP address and the MAC address, receiving, the MAC address request response, and forwarding the MAC address request response to the base station.