Media Frame Overlay Network for Large File Transfer Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Internet Protocol (IP) routing and transport methods face challenges in efficiently handling large data packets due to increasing file sizes and rising power consumption in routers, which are exacerbated by the need for more efficient bandwidth management and reduced carbon footprint.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a media frame-based overlay network that uses end-to-end admission control for media chains and directly-routed frames, optimizing electronic switching and high-speed optical transmission to reduce power consumption and enhance efficiency in large file transfers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If standard IP routing and transport methods are used for large data packets, then compatibility with existing equipment is maintained, but router power consumption increases and network efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments large data files into fixed-size media frames (e.g., 10MB each) organized into media chains. This segmentation allows routers to process uniform, predictable units rather than variable-size IP packets, enabling more efficient routing decisions and reducing processing overhead per byte transmitted, thereby improving network efficiency while managing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements end-to-end admission control and path reservation before media chain transmission. Routers pre-establish routing paths and allocate resources in advance, eliminating the need for complex real-time routing decisions during transmission. This preliminary action reduces router processing workload and power consumption while maintaining high network efficiency.
2Productivity
If jumbo and super jumbo frames are used to increase packet size, then fewer packets are required for large files, but compatibility with existing equipment becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the packet size parameter to fixed-size media frames (e.g., 10MB) that are larger than standard Ethernet frames but smaller than jumbo frames. This parameter change achieves efficient bulk transmission while maintaining compatibility with existing network equipment that cannot handle jumbo frames, thus resolving the contradiction between transmission efficiency and equipment compatibility.
3Speed
If optical burst switching or flow switching is implemented to provide end-to-end lightpaths, then large file transmission speed increases, but control plane congestion limits application to large burst sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments large files into multiple media chains of fixed size, each independently routed. This segmentation allows the network to handle multiple smaller, manageable units rather than requiring a single large burst, thereby avoiding control plane congestion while maintaining high transmission speeds through efficient use of optical bandwidth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs path reservation and admission control at the media chain level before transmission begins. By establishing routes in advance for fixed-size media chains, the control plane avoids the complexity of dynamically managing large burst sizes, reducing control plane congestion while enabling high-speed optical transmission.
4Productivity
If more packets are processed to handle increasing file sizes, then bandwidth utilization improves, but router power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple fixed-size media frames into media chains that are transmitted as unified units. This merging reduces the number of individual packet processing operations required, as routers handle media chains as single entities rather than processing each frame separately, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining high bandwidth utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the packet size parameter to optimized fixed-size media frames that maximize bandwidth utilization while minimizing processing overhead. By carefully selecting the media frame size, the system achieves efficient bandwidth usage without requiring excessive packet processing, thus controlling router power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A novel overlay networking method designed specifically to handle the large file transfers that constitute a large and growing portion of media-rich Internet traffic is disclosed. The proposed system and method uses large (e.g., 10 MB) packets or Media Frames (MF) and orderly concatenations of these frames into chains (MC) to achieve a considerable reduction in power consumption relative to current IP Internet routers. Transmission of each MC is scheduled, while individual MFs are routed directly in interstices within MCs.