Routing-Assisted Traffic Monitoring via Micro-Flowset Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network traffic monitoring systems face challenges in dynamically adapting to evolving traffic characteristics and measurement objectives, as they often rely on suboptimal solutions due to prior knowledge of static traffic patterns, and struggle to efficiently route traffic sub-populations for accurate monitoring without violating traffic engineering policies.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining micro-flowset routing for traffic flows between routing devices, using a controller to transmit flow information and ensure compliance with traffic engineering policies, allowing for fine-grained monitoring of traffic sub-populations without disrupting aggregate routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniform sampling is implemented by routing devices, then implementation simplicity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates for medium-sized flows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements heterogeneous sampling algorithms where different routing devices use different sampling strategies optimized for their local traffic characteristics. Some devices use uniform sampling while others use sophisticated algorithms like SQRT sampling or flow-based sampling, allowing each device to have tailored sampling quality appropriate to its position and traffic patterns in the network.
2Quantity of substance
If monitoring infrastructure is deployed based on static traffic characteristics, then deployment cost is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates when traffic patterns evolve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic adaptation of sampling rates and algorithms by the controller based on observed traffic characteristics. The controller can adjust sampling parameters in real-time without requiring physical reconfiguration of monitoring infrastructure, allowing the system to adapt to evolving traffic patterns while maintaining the same hardware deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (sampling rates, sampling algorithms) rather than physical infrastructure configuration to adapt to traffic evolution. The controller modifies sampling parameters dynamically based on traffic measurements and objectives, providing adaptability without requiring additional or reconfigured hardware.
3Measurement precision
If traffic sub-populations are routed over fixed monitoring locations, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to micro-flowset routing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized controller as an intermediary that manages the complexity of micro-flowset routing. The controller computes optimal routing paths for different traffic sub-populations through the network, offloading the complex routing logic from individual routing devices. This allows precise routing of traffic sub-populations to monitoring locations while centralizing the computational complexity in the controller.
4Measurement precision
If heterogeneous sampling algorithms are deployed across the network, then measurement precision is improved for different traffic types, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into different regions or devices with specialized sampling algorithms optimized for local traffic characteristics. Each routing device implements sampling algorithms appropriate to its position and traffic load, rather than all devices running the full suite of algorithms. This segmentation reduces per-device complexity while maintaining overall measurement precision through algorithmic diversity across the network.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for routing-assisted traffic monitoring includes providing a set of flows, each flow having an associated ingress routing device and an associated egress routing device. A controller determines a micro-flowset routing for the set of flows, the micro-flowset routing defining which of a set of directed links connecting a plurality of routing devices are used to route each of the flows from the respective ingress routing device to the respective egress routing device. The controller transmits flow information to at least a first routing device of the plurality of routing devices according to the micro-flowset routing, the flow information defining which of the set of directed links are to be used to route at least one flow entering the first routing device to a second routing device of the plurality of routing devices.