Multicast Service Chain Placement in Cloud SDN
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud-based systems lack an open interface between the SDN controller and the cloud manager, leading to suboptimal placement of virtualized media appliances, which can result in packet loss due to overcommitment of network resources, particularly in media streams.
Innovation Solution
An orchestration system and SDN controller collaborate to determine optimal host placement for virtualized media appliances by maintaining an abstract model of media service chains, identifying suitable hosts based on available bandwidth and capabilities, and generating a mapping to prevent overcommitment of network switches and ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cloud manager autonomously places virtualized media appliances without SDN controller input, then the cloud manager maintains operational independence, but network resource overcommitment occurs causing packet loss
Solution Approach 1:
An open interface is introduced as an intermediary between the cloud manager and SDN controller. This interface allows the cloud manager to query network resource availability and receive placement recommendations from the SDN controller without compromising operational independence. The interface acts as a mediator that enables collaborative decision-making while maintaining autonomous operation of both systems.
2Productivity
If the SDN controller has full control over appliance placement, then optimal network resource utilization is achieved, but the cloud manager loses placement flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The open interface implements a feedback mechanism where the cloud manager queries the SDN controller for network resource status and placement recommendations, receives this feedback information, and then makes informed placement decisions. This allows the cloud manager to maintain flexibility in choosing placement locations while incorporating real-time network resource availability information from the SDN controller to optimize resource utilization.
3Loss of time
If virtualized media appliances are placed without considering network bandwidth availability, then placement speed is increased, but packet loss occurs due to overcommitment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by having the cloud manager query the SDN controller for network resource availability and placement recommendations before actually placing virtualized media appliances. This advance planning ensures that placement decisions are made with full knowledge of current network bandwidth availability, preventing overcommitment and packet loss while maintaining efficient placement speeds through pre-computed recommendations.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Techniques for provisioning multicast chains in a cloud-based environment are described herein. In an embodiment, a system sends a model of an application comprising sources, destinations, and virtualized appliances for initiation by host computers to a software- defined networking (SDN) controller. The SDN controller determines locations for the virtualized appliances and generates an updated model of the application, the updated model comprising the locations for the virtualized appliances. The SDN controller sends the updated model to the orchestration system. The orchestration system uses the updated model to generate a mapping of virtualized appliances to available host computers. Using the mapping of virtualized appliances to available host computers, the orchestration system sends instructions for initiating the virtualized appliances on the available host computers to one or more cloud management systems.