Packet Transmission via IP Option Identifier Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The VXLAN technology causes excessive encapsulation overheads and network bandwidth consumption due to nested encapsulation, and it is not applicable in networks that do not support UDP transmission, hindering service continuity and virtual machine migration in next-generation data centers.
Innovation Solution
A packet transmission method that modifies the source and destination IP and MAC addresses by adding network element identifiers to the IP option of a raw packet, avoiding nested encapsulation and enabling efficient routing across different network segments, while maintaining compatibility with both layer 2 and layer 3 networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If VXLAN technology is used to expand layer 2 network, then virtual machine migration and service continuity are enabled, but encapsulation overheads and network bandwidth consumption increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential identification information (source and destination identifiers) from the original packet and places it in the IP option field, eliminating the need for nested VXLAN encapsulation. This removes the unnecessary outer UDP and VXLAN headers while retaining the core functionality of identifying virtual machine endpoints, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining migration capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the packet handling process into two parts: the original packet structure is preserved for virtual machine identification, while a separate IP option field is used to carry routing information. This segmentation allows the system to avoid nested encapsulation overhead while maintaining the ability to route packets between virtual machines across different physical hosts
2Adaptability or versatility
If VXLAN technology is used for network expansion, then layer 2 network scalability is improved, but packet structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential routing information from the complex VXLAN encapsulation structure and places it directly in the IP option field of the original packet. This eliminates multiple nested header structures (outer UDP header, VXLAN header, inner Ethernet header) while retaining the ability to identify and route to virtual machine endpoints, thereby simplifying the packet structure while maintaining network expansion capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the IP option field serve multiple functions: it carries both the source virtual machine identifier and the destination virtual machine identifier, and also serves as the routing information for physical network traversal. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate header structures for each purpose, reducing overall packet structure complexity while maintaining universal applicability across different network configurations
3Adaptability or versatility
If nested encapsulation is used for packet transmission, then virtual network partition resources are provided, but network visibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential virtual machine identification information and places it in the IP option field, making it visible and accessible in the standard IP packet structure. This allows network devices to inspect and process virtual machine identifiers without requiring special handling of nested encapsulation layers, thereby improving network visibility while maintaining virtual network partitioning through the identifiers carried in the IP option
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a packet transmission method, an apparatus, and a system in an overlay network. Network address translation and reverse network address translation are implemented at a demarcation point: an IP tunnel end point, between the logical network and the physical network, an IP option is expanded to carry a source-end network element identifier and a destination-end network element identifier, and a virtual machine in an upper-layer logical network is interconnected with a peer-end virtual machine through a lower-layer physical network by using an IP tunnel.