Interval Flow-Based Inband Telemetry for Granular Network Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network devices face challenges in reporting telemetry metrics effectively, as they either overwhelm collectors with frequent reports when the export time period is too small or fail to provide granular metrics when it is too large, making it difficult to pinpoint issues like latency spikes.
Innovation Solution
A network device divides the export time period into smaller tracking periods, computes and stores aggregate telemetry metrics for each period, and reports them to a collector at larger intervals, providing granular metrics while reducing the frequency of reports to prevent overwhelming the collector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the export time period is made small to provide granular telemetry metrics, then measurement precision is improved, but the collector becomes overwhelmed due to frequent reports
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the export time period into multiple smaller tracking periods. Telemetry metrics are computed and stored for each tracking period separately, then aggregated and reported at the end of the larger export time period. This segmentation allows granular metrics to be captured without requiring frequent collector reports, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and collector productivity.
2Productivity
If the export time period is made large to reduce report frequency and prevent overwhelming the collector, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to loss of granular metrics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary computation and storage of telemetry metrics for each tracking period during the export time period. These pre-computed granular metrics are then aggregated and reported at the end of the export period. This preliminary action ensures that granular metrics are captured and preserved without requiring frequent reports to the collector, thus maintaining both productivity and measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If telemetry metrics are reported frequently to provide detailed analysis of short-term network performance, then measurement precision is improved, but the system complexity increases due to redundant storage and reporting mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage and reporting of granular telemetry metrics with the periodic export time period aggregation. Instead of separately storing and reporting each tracking period's metrics to the collector, the system computes metrics for each tracking period, stores them locally, then aggregates them into a single report at the end of the export period. This merging reduces system complexity while preserving the ability to analyze short-term network performance.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure presents several embodiments of a device configured to perform inband telemetry tracking. The device is configured to store a flow table that tracks metrics of a detected packet flow that passes through the device. More specifically, the flow table tracks several telemetry metrics, each telemetry metric being specific to a tracking time period, and tracking statics based only on packets of the packet flow that were received during that specific time period. At an end of an export time period (which is longer than a tracking time period), the device transmits all stored telemetry metrics from the flow table to a collector.