Modulating Backbone Service Instance Identifiers for Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Provider Backbone Bridging architectures face challenges in efficiently load balancing frames across networks due to limitations in managing backbone service instance identifiers (I-SIDs), which affects the path consistency and performance of frame transmission.
Innovation Solution
Modulating the backbone service instance identifier (I-SID) with a flow identification value to generate a modulated service instance identifier, allowing for load balancing across multiple links and enabling recovery of the original I-SID by subsequent packet switching devices, thereby ensuring consistent frame paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional backbone service instance identifiers (I-SIDs) are used without modification, then frame transmission follows fixed paths, but load balancing across multiple links is inefficient and path consistency cannot be achieved simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the backbone service instance identifier (I-SID) by XORing it with a flow identification value to create a modulated service instance identifier. This parameter transformation enables the same I-SID to represent different traffic flows, allowing load balancing across multiple paths while maintaining path consistency for each individual flow through the reversible nature of the XOR operation
Solution Approach 2:
The flow identification value acts as an intermediary between the original I-SID and the modulated service instance identifier. This intermediary enables the system to distinguish different traffic flows and apply appropriate load balancing decisions while preserving the ability to recover the original I-SID at the destination, thus maintaining path consistency
2Productivity
If service instance identifiers are modified for load balancing, then multiple links can be utilized, but complexity in managing and recovering original I-SIDs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs XOR operation to modulate the service instance identifier, which is a simple bitwise operation that can be efficiently implemented in hardware. The reversibility of XOR (where A XOR B XOR B = A) simplifies the recovery process, eliminating the need for complex lookup tables or state management mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The modulated service instance identifier contains all necessary information within itself to enable recovery of the original I-SID. The flow identification value used for modulation is derived from frame header fields that are already available, making the system self-sufficient without requiring external management or additional storage resources
3Productivity
If flow identification is added to enable load balancing, then transmission efficiency improves, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow identification value is derived by hashing existing frame header fields (such as source and destination addresses) rather than requiring extraction of new information. This hashing approach is computationally efficient and can be performed in parallel with other frame processing operations, minimizing additional processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the flow identification calculation, I-SID modulation, and frame encapsulation operations into a unified processing pipeline. By merging these operations, the system eliminates redundant processing steps and achieves better throughput compared to sequential processing of each operation separately
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, backbone service instance identifiers (I-SIDs) of backbone frames are modified based on flow identification of frames encapsulated therein to induce entropy into the headers of the backbone frames. Backbone packet switching devices use the modified service instance identifier to load balance the corresponding frame through the backbone network. At an exit point of the backbone network, the original backbone service instance identifier (I-SID) associated with a frame encapsulated in a backbone frame is recovered from the modified service instance identifier, with this recovery typically including determining the flow identification of the frame encapsulated in the backbone frame.