Hierarchical Bridging for Virtual Connection Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional carrier networks face challenges in providing automatic protection switching for Ethernet virtual connections, especially when active and standby connections involve physically distinct far end network devices, leading to potential data loss due to the lack of support for diverse far end network devices in failure scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a hierarchical bridging architecture with a parent bridge function controlling child bridge functions to manage active and standby virtual connections across distinct far end network devices, enabling transparent switching and load balancing, and utilizing virtual switching functions to facilitate communication between these devices for seamless traffic management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional carrier networks use single far end network device for Ethernet virtual connections, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of protection against far end device failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the far end network device functionality into multiple physically distinct network devices (first far end network device and second far end network device). Each device handles specific virtual connections, allowing failure isolation and protection switching while maintaining overall system functionality through the hierarchical bridging structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual switching function as an intermediary that logically connects the multiple physically distinct far end network devices. This virtual switching function appears as a single logical device to the near end, enabling protection switching without requiring changes to the near end device configuration or awareness of the physical distribution.
2Reliability
If diverse far end network devices are used for active and standby connections, then reliability is improved through redundancy, but device complexity increases due to switching management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal virtual switching function that can represent multiple physically distinct far end network devices through a single logical interface. This multi-functional approach allows the system to manage diverse far end devices (active and standby) uniformly, simplifying switching management while maintaining network redundancy through the parent-child bridge function hierarchy.
3Loss of information
If immediate traffic switching is implemented upon failure detection, then data loss is reduced, but measurement precision requirements increase for failure detection timing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes preliminary protective measures by pre-configuring the hierarchical bridging architecture with parent and child bridge functions before failures occur. The system pre-positions standby connections and establishes the switching framework in advance, enabling immediate traffic redirection upon failure detection without requiring complex real-time measurement or decision-making during the actual failure event.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system provision a first virtual connection between a first device and a second device; and provision a second virtual connection between the first device and a third device. A first bridge function is configured to control switching associated with the first virtual connection. A second bridge function is configured to control switching associated with the second virtual connection. A parent bridge function is configured to control switching on the first bridge function and the second bridge function, wherein the first virtual connection comprises an active connection and the second virtual connection comprises a standby connection, and wherein the parent bridge function switches traffic to the second bridge device upon determining that the first virtual connection has failed.