Location-Based Gateway Assignment for Data Center Traffic Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In data center environments, existing address assignment methods often result in inefficient network traffic routing, leading to increased bandwidth costs and latency due to non-local gateway device assignments, especially when virtual machines relocate, causing unnecessary traffic to traverse the data center interconnect.
Innovation Solution
A location-based address assignment system that identifies the host's location within the network and assigns a nearby gateway device for traffic distribution, ensuring that layer-3 traffic does not unnecessarily traverse the data center interconnect, thereby optimizing bandwidth usage and reducing latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If random or round robin assignment is used to assign gateway devices to hosts, then load balancing is achieved, but network traffic latency increases due to non-local router assignments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning gateway devices based on geographical or network proximity. Instead of uniform random assignment, the system identifies the host's location and selects a gateway device that is locally proximate, thereby reducing traffic latency while still distributing load across multiple gateways.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary location identification and gateway selection before traffic routing occurs. By pre-determining the optimal gateway based on host location, the system avoids latency during actual data transmission while maintaining load balancing across the gateway pool.
2Reliability
If redundant gateway devices are deployed to ensure reliability, then system reliability improves, but network bandwidth consumption increases due to traffic traversing the data center interconnect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces bandwidth consumption by assigning hosts to locally proximate gateway devices. This ensures that traffic is routed through the most efficient path, avoiding unnecessary traversal of the data center interconnect, while redundant gateways remain available for failover scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a location-based selection mechanism as an intermediary between the host and gateway devices. This mediator optimizes the choice of gateway based on proximity, reducing interconnect traffic while maintaining the redundant gateway infrastructure for reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If virtual machines are allowed to relocate within the data center environment, then system adaptability improves, but traffic latency increases when virtual machines are assigned to non-local gateway devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic gateway assignment that adapts to virtual machine relocation. When a virtual machine moves to a different location, the system re-evaluates the optimal gateway based on the new location, ensuring continuous local optimization and minimizing latency throughout the mobility process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary gateway reassignment when virtual machine relocation is detected. By proactively updating the gateway assignment before significant traffic flows occur, the system minimizes latency impacts during the transition period while maintaining adaptability to the new location.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for location based address assignment for the distribution of traffic is provided that includes receiving a request for service from a host. A location of the host within a network environment is identified. A selected one of a plurality of gateway devices is assigned to service the host based on the location of the host within the network environment and the location of the selected one of the gateway devices within the network environment. A forwarding address associated with the selected one of the gateway devices is transmitted to the host for subsequent use by the host in forwarding network traffic.