Interface Status Reporting with Dynamic Delay and Dampening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating report data on network interface status, such as carrier delay and interface flap dampening, fail to effectively filter out status flapping between utilizable and non-utilizable states, leading to inaccurate reporting and excessive load on control planes.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that utilize a delay timer and a processor system to manage penalty values, filtering out status flapping by initializing delay-based and dampening-based data, and adjusting penalty values within defined thresholds to prevent false reporting of interface states, ensuring accurate and timely reporting to control planes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carrier delay is used to filter status flapping, then the control plane load is reduced, but the delay timer may synchronize with repeating on-off status changes causing false on-state reporting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the delay timer adjustable rather than fixed. The delay timer can be dynamically configured based on network conditions and interface characteristics, allowing optimization between filtering effectiveness and response time. This resolves the contradiction by enabling adaptive delay periods that prevent false reporting while maintaining acceptable responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of delay timer configuration from static to dynamic. By allowing the delay parameter to be adjusted based on observed flapping patterns and network conditions, the system can optimize the balance between filtering out false status changes and maintaining timely detection of real failures.
2Reliability
If interface flap dampening is used to filter status flapping, then the control plane load is reduced, but the penalty accumulates to high values during bursts and takes long time to recover
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the dampening mechanism adjustable. The dampening factor and recovery rate can be dynamically configured to balance between suppressing false reports during bursts and enabling timely recovery after temporary outages. This resolves the contradiction by allowing optimization of the dampening intensity and recovery speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action through configurable dampening parameters that are set in advance. By pre-configuring the dampening factor and recovery characteristics, the system prepares the appropriate response behavior before status flapping occurs, enabling controlled penalty accumulation and recovery without excessive delay.
3Reliability
If straightforward parallel connection of carrier delay and interface flap dampening is used, then both methods are applied simultaneously, but the interface flap dampening still reports off-state for too long time after bursts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges carrier delay and interface flap dampening into a unified filtering mechanism. Instead of implementing them as separate parallel systems, the invention integrates both functions into a coordinated approach where the delay timer and dampening factor work together synergistically, reducing overall complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling adjustable parameters in the merged system. The delay timer and dampening factor can be dynamically configured to work together, allowing optimization of the combined filtering effect. This resolves the contradiction by providing flexibility in tuning the integrated mechanism to achieve desired performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method and a device for generating report data related to a status of an interface of a network element are presented. The method includes: activating a delay timer when the interface status changes, setting delay-based data to express the interface status at the end of a delay determined by the delay-timer, setting dampening-based data to express the interface status if a penalty value fulfils a pre-determined condition and otherwise to express that the interface is non-utilizable, and setting the report data to express that the interface is utilizable if both the delay-based data and the dampening-based data express that the interface is utilizable. The penalty value is decreased with a dampening rule, and the penalty value is increased when the interface becomes non-utilizable and increasing the penalty value within a time-window is below a desired limit.