Gateway Service Isolation Single Physical Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software-defined networking architectures require multiple physical ports for each service, making it difficult to connect devices to the correct port, especially in homes and businesses with shared wiring, and can be impractical due to the need for additional wiring or multiple routers.
Innovation Solution
A gateway with a single inbound port that evaluates and labels frames with service-specific identifiers, allowing multiple services to be isolated and delivered over the same physical medium by modifying frames to include appropriate identifiers for routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple physical ports are used for each service, then service isolation is maintained, but device connectivity and ease of operation deteriorate due to the need for additional wiring and difficulty connecting devices to correct ports
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple service-specific physical ports into a single shared physical network interface. The gateway consolidates what would traditionally require separate physical connections into one interface, allowing multiple services to share the same physical medium while maintaining logical isolation through software-based service identification and frame labeling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary between the single physical network interface and multiple services. It receives frames on the shared interface, identifies the intended service through evaluation of frame contents, applies appropriate service-specific labels or tags, and forwards frames to the correct service destination, thereby mediating between physical connectivity and service isolation requirements.
2Reliability
If multiple physical ports are used for each service, then service isolation is maintained, but system complexity increases due to the need for multiple routers or additional wiring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple service-specific physical ports into a single shared physical network interface. The gateway consolidates what would traditionally require separate physical connections into one interface, allowing multiple services to share the same physical medium while maintaining logical isolation through software-based service identification and frame labeling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway is designed as a universal device that can handle multiple different services through a single physical interface. It performs multiple functions including frame reception, service identification, frame labeling, and service-specific forwarding, replacing what would traditionally require multiple specialized devices or port configurations.
3Ease of operation
If a single physical port is used for multiple services, then ease of operation and device complexity are improved, but service isolation deteriorates without frame labeling
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as an intermediary between the single physical network interface and multiple services. It receives frames on the shared interface, identifies the intended service through evaluation of frame contents, applies appropriate service-specific labels or tags, and forwards frames to the correct service destination, thereby mediating between physical connectivity and service isolation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter space by introducing service-specific labels or tags that are added to frames. Instead of relying on separate physical ports for isolation, the system uses logical parameters (labels/tags) embedded in frame data structures to distinguish and isolate different services sharing the same physical medium.
Data Source
AI summary
Services can be isolated across a single physical network interface. A gateway that is installed at the user's premises can include a single inbound port over which multiple services can be provided to the premises. The gateway can evaluate all outbound frames that are received at the port to identify to which service they pertain and then tag the frames with an identifier assigned to the service. This tagging will enable the frames to be delivered to the intended service provider. When the gateway receives an inbound frame, it can strip the identifier from the frame and forward it over the single inbound port regardless of the service to which it pertains. In this way, multiple services that are provided to the user's premises can remain isolated on the wide area network even though they are provided over the same physical medium on the user's local area network.