Network Management Plane Pre-Population for Disruption Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network devices in distributed systems face challenges in efficiently managing network traffic and enforcing subscription limits, leading to potential network disruptions and misalignment with desired operational goals, especially when communication with management systems is lost.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a management controller that operates independently from the data and control planes to enforce subscription limits and pre-populate network devices with network disruption plans, allowing for rapid adaptation and traffic management even in the absence of central management system connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network devices rely on central management system for traffic management and disruption handling, then centralized control and coordination are improved, but network convergence time increases and service continuity deteriorates when communication with management system is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-populates network devices with disruption plans before disruptions occur. These plans include pre-configured alternative paths, resource allocations, and operational procedures that can be immediately activated when communication with the management system is lost, eliminating the need for time-consuming real-time decision-making and reducing network convergence time while maintaining service continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the centralized management function into distributed autonomous units at each network device. Each device maintains local control capabilities and can independently execute disruption plans without requiring continuous communication with the central management system, thereby reducing dependency and enabling faster local response while maintaining overall system coordination
2Productivity
If network devices operate autonomously without central management connectivity, then network convergence speed and service continuity are improved, but centralized control capability and coordination are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the complexity issue by pre-configuring all necessary control logic, policies, and disruption handling procedures during normal operation. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for complex real-time distributed decision-making during disruptions, as devices simply execute pre-determined plans, thereby achieving fast convergence without introducing ongoing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local copies of management functionality at each network device in the form of disruption plans. These copies contain all necessary control logic and procedures needed for autonomous operation during disruptions, allowing devices to function independently without requiring complex inter-device coordination or real-time communication with the central management system
3Manufacturing precision
If network devices enforce subscription limits through centralized management, then service level alignment is improved, but response time to enforce limits increases during network disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures subscription limits, service level agreements, and enforcement policies in the disruption plans before disruptions occur. When disruptions happen, devices can immediately enforce these pre-set limits without waiting for updated instructions from the central management system, thereby maintaining both service level alignment and fast enforcement response speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables network devices to autonomously enforce subscription limits and service level agreements using locally stored disruption plans. Each device monitors and enforces its own service levels independently during disruptions, eliminating the need for centralized enforcement and achieving both precise service level alignment and immediate response speed
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for managing the operation of a deployment are provided. The deployment may be managed in accordance with a subscription model. The subscription model may use subscriptions to define the extent and limits on use of services provided by the deployment. The subscription services and limits may be enforced by management controllers of network devices of the deployment. The management controllers may operate independently from control planes and data planes of the network devices. The management controllers may store plans for addressing network disruptions. The plans may be used when communications with management systems are unavailable.