Link Aggregation Scheduling with Backup Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network devices face challenges in scheduling traffic over aggregated bundles to meet specific classes of service while utilizing increased bandwidth, often resulting in inaccurate application of class of service and slow failover in case of link failures.
Innovation Solution
A network device configures primary and backup logical interfaces with associated scheduling modules across multiple links, allowing for targeted traffic scheduling and seamless failover, ensuring accurate class of service and efficient bandwidth utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traffic is scheduled over aggregated bundles of links to utilize increased bandwidth, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but class of service scheduling accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aggregated bundle of links into multiple logical interfaces, with each logical interface associated with a specific subscriber and a dedicated scheduling module. This segmentation allows the system to maintain accurate per-subscriber class of service scheduling while utilizing multiple links in the aggregated bundle, thereby resolving the contradiction between bandwidth utilization and scheduling accuracy.
2Reliability
If link aggregation is used to provide connection redundancy, then reliability is improved, but failover speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures backup scheduling modules and backup logical interfaces before any link failure occurs. When a primary link fails, the system can immediately switch to the pre-configured backup without requiring time-consuming reconfiguration or detection, thus achieving fast failover while maintaining connection redundancy through the aggregated bundle.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, techniques are described for scheduling traffic for delivery over an aggregated bundle of links. The techniques may be implemented by a network device comprising a control unit. The control unit configures a primary logical interface such that the primary logical interface is associated with a primary link of the aggregated bundle of links. The primary logical interface is associated with a primary scheduling module that schedules the traffic for delivery via the primary link. The control unit further, prior to detecting a failure associated with the primary scheduling module, configures a backup logical interface such that the backup logical interface is associated with a backup link of the aggregated bundle links. The backup logical interface is associated with a backup scheduling module that schedules, in response to detecting the failure associated with the primary scheduling module, the traffic for delivery downstream via the backup link.