Intercloud Fabric Switches Prevent Broadcasting Loops in Hybrid Clouds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid cloud architectures with multiple public clouds face challenges in efficiently scaling and preventing broadcasting loops, which can lead to inefficiencies in bandwidth usage and network management, particularly in interconnecting Intercloud Fabric Switches (ICSes) across different cloud infrastructures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Intercloud Fabric Switches (ICSes) with a full-meshed network topology and the use of virtual supervisor modules (VSMs) to manage switch functionality and prevent broadcasting loops by applying forwarding rules, ensuring efficient packet routing and reducing unknown unicast traffic across multiple public clouds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Intercloud Fabric Switches are interconnected in a full-meshed topology across multiple public clouds, then routing capability and cloud service accessibility are improved, but broadcasting loops may occur causing network inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual supervisor module is introduced as an intermediary between the Intercloud Fabric Switches and the network traffic. This module receives packets from switches, applies forwarding rules to determine appropriate destinations, and prevents broadcasting loops by filtering out packets that would create loops. The virtual supervisor module thus mediates the conflict between full-meshed connectivity and loop prevention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple public clouds are added to hybrid cloud architecture, then cloud service diversity and scalability are improved, but network management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual supervisor module implements a universal forwarding rule engine that can be applied across multiple public clouds and Intercloud Fabric Switches. Instead of implementing separate management systems for each cloud, the same forwarding rules and packet processing logic are universally applied throughout the entire multicloud architecture, simplifying network management while supporting diverse cloud services.
3Adaptability or versatility
If packet forwarding is enabled across all links in a full-meshed ICS topology, then cloud service accessibility is improved, but bandwidth efficiency deteriorates due to unknown unicast traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual supervisor module implements feedback-based packet processing where each received packet is analyzed against forwarding rules that consider the current network state and packet characteristics. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically determine whether to forward, drop, or modify packets, thereby preventing wasteful transmission of unknown unicast traffic while maintaining accessibility to cloud services.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one aspect, a method includes an Intercloud Fabric Switch (ICS) included in a public cloud and an ICS cluster obtaining a packet, and determining if the packet is obtained from a site-to-site link that links the ICS to an enterprise datacenter. If the packet is obtained from the site-to-site link, it is determined whether the packet is an unknown unicast packet. If the packet is an unknown unicast packet, the packet is dropped, and if not, the packet is provided to an access link that links the ICS to a virtual machine. If the packet is not obtained from the site-to-site link, it is determined whether the packet is obtained from an inter-ICS link that allows the ICS to communicate with the ICS cluster. If the packet is obtained from the inter-ICS link, the packet is dropped if it is an unknown unicast packet.