Hardware-Supported Flow Migration for Dynamic Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network communication systems face challenges with static load balancing and resiliency, leading to network performance degradation and asymmetrical traffic distribution, which are not effectively addressed by current algorithmic approaches.
Innovation Solution
Implement hardware-supported flow migration by migrating network references such as 5-tuples or QPs between network hardware devices, using commands like suspend, save, and load flow to dynamically balance load and ensure resiliency without interrupting applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If algorithmic load balancing approaches are used, then network resiliency is improved, but network performance degradation occurs due to static distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic flow migration between network interfaces based on real-time performance monitoring. The system transitions from static algorithmic load balancing to dynamic hardware-supported flow migration, where active flows are automatically migrated between NICs based on observed performance degradation, achieving both resiliency and maintained performance
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs performance monitoring that provides feedback on network interface health and flow performance. This feedback mechanism triggers automatic flow migration decisions when degradation is detected, creating a closed-loop system that maintains optimal performance while ensuring resiliency through adaptive responses
2Adaptability or versatility
If hardware-supported flow migration is implemented, then dynamic load balancing is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that coordinates flow migration between network interfaces. The gateway manages the complexity of flow state tracking and migration coordination, while network interfaces themselves remain relatively simple hardware components, distributing the complexity management burden
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of flow state information in the gateway's flow table to enable migration. When a flow needs to migrate, the gateway uses the copied flow state to quickly establish the flow on a different network interface without requiring complex real-time computations or direct hardware modifications
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods herein are for at least one circuit that can determine that a network reference associated with a first network hardware is subject to a network performance degradation in a network, can cause suspension of traffic flow associated with the network reference, can save configuration for at least the network reference at a node associated with the first network hardware, and can cause the configuration to be deployed in a second network hardware so that the network reference that was previously in the first network hardware is provided from the second network hardware to resume the traffic flow.