Host Policy Management in Network Fabric Switches
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network fabrics configured for IP multicast traffic, managing host admission policies is complex and prone to errors, leading to spurious flows that block legitimate requests and waste resources, especially in environments requiring guaranteed bandwidths.
Innovation Solution
A distributed approach to host admission policy management where a global set of policies is applied to all switches, allowing each switch to filter and update its local policies automatically, eliminating the need for per-switch configuration and reducing spurious flow provisioning through proactive policy checking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If per-switch configuration is used for host admission policies, then each switch can independently manage its policies, but the complexity of policy management increases and errors occur more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary device that centrally manages host admission policies for multiple switches. The controller receives policy definitions from the host, filters them to determine applicable policies, and distributes relevant policies to appropriate switches. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for complex per-switch configuration while maintaining reliable policy enforcement across the network fabric.
2Productivity
If spurious flows are provisioned with bandwidth, then flow provisioning is simplified, but subsequent legitimate host requests are blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the controller filter host policies before flows are provisioned. The controller proactively determines which host policies apply to each switch and distributes them in advance. This allows switches to make accurate admission decisions before flows are established, preventing both spurious flows from being incorrectly permitted and legitimate flows from being incorrectly blocked, thus maintaining bandwidth guarantee accuracy while enabling efficient provisioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual tracking of all host-facing interfaces is required, then policy enforcement can be customized per interface, but the time and effort required for management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the controller to automatically filter and distribute policies based on interface characteristics and flow characteristics. The system autonomously determines which policies apply to which switches and interfaces without requiring manual tracking or configuration. This maintains the adaptability to customize policies per interface while eliminating the time-consuming manual management burden.
Data Source
AI summary
In one illustrative example, a switch for use in a network fabric which includes a plurality on interconnected switches configured to facilitate communication of IP multicast traffic amongst host devices may be provided. The switch may receive, from a controller, a global set of host policies associated with the plurality of switches of the network fabric. The switch may select, from the global set of host policies, a local subset of host policies applicable to the switch. The switch may grant or deny admission of host devices to receive or send IP multicast traffic flows in the network fabric according to the selected, local subset of host policies.