In-Game Switch IP Management for Casino Network Start-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard IP-based protocols and network devices struggle to manage and distribute IP addresses efficiently in large network gaming environments, such as casinos, especially during system start-up after power outages, leading to network flooding and device inoperativity due to the overwhelming number of service discovery requests.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an in-game IP address management system with an in-game switch that intercepts service discovery requests, extends default internal IP addresses without central DHCP server communication, and manages IP address distribution during system start-up, allowing gaming machines and devices to boot up without network flooding, and subsequently reassigns IP addresses once external and internal IP information is received from DHCP servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a centralized DHCP server is used to manage IP addresses in a large network gaming environment, then IP address distribution can be centralized and controlled, but during system start-up after power outages, the server becomes overwhelmed by simultaneous requests from thousands of devices, causing network flooding and device inoperativity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized DHCP server functionality into distributed DHCP relay agents located at network switches. Each relay agent independently handles IP address requests for devices in its local segment, preventing overwhelming simultaneous requests to a single central server. This segmentation distributes the processing load across multiple network nodes, maintaining reliability during system start-up while preserving centralized management capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces DHCP relay agents as intermediary components between end devices and the central DHCP server. These relay agents intercept and process DHCP requests locally, mediating between the flood of simultaneous requests during start-up and the centralized server's limited processing capacity. The relay agents queue and manage requests, preventing network flooding while ensuring eventual delivery to the central server for authoritative IP address assignment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If standard IP-based protocols are used without modification, then network compatibility is maintained, but the protocols cannot handle the overwhelming number of simultaneous service discovery requests during system start-up in large gaming networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having DHCP relay agents pre-positioned at network switches and pre-configured with local IP address pools. During system start-up, devices can immediately receive IP addresses from local relay agents without waiting for central server responses. This preliminary preparation of distributed IP address resources enables rapid device boot-up and network recovery while maintaining standard DHCP protocol compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic behavior to the DHCP system by enabling relay agents to adaptively manage local IP address pools based on real-time network conditions. During off-peak periods, relay agents can release unused IP addresses back to the central server. During start-up floods, they dynamically allocate from local pools without central server intervention, then synchronize with the central server once the flood subsides. This dynamic adaptation maintains protocol compatibility while dramatically improving start-up productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for managing Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses in a network gaming environment comprising a plurality of electronic gaming machines, having one or more in-game network devices. In particular an in-game switch is provided, which is configured to receiving an external IP address from a centrals DHCP server and to determine a scope of internal IP addresses associated with the one or more in-game network devices. Once the scope is determined, the in-game switch is configured to lease IP addresses from the address scope block to the associated in-game network devices.