Multi-Cluster Container Networking With Global Route Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional container clusters, such as Kubernetes, are limited to intra-cluster communication and fail to facilitate interworking across multiple container clusters, restricting the scalability of container network applications.
Innovation Solution
A network communication method and system that allocates unique network segment resources to each node in multiple container clusters using a virtual local area network (Overlay) based on an underlying physical network (Underlay), maintaining global node route information to enable interconnection and interworking across clusters through virtual tunnel encapsulation and decapsulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional container clusters are used for managing containerized workloads, then rapid deployment and fault self-healing capabilities are achieved, but interconnection and interworking across multiple container clusters are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual tunnel mechanism as an intermediary layer between multiple container clusters. This virtual tunnel encapsulates network packets and provides a standardized communication interface, enabling different container clusters to interconnect without requiring complex direct integration between each cluster's network architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The network communication architecture is segmented into distinct layers: the underlying physical network (underlay), the virtual tunnel layer for encapsulation, and the container cluster networks. This segmentation allows each layer to be independently managed and configured, reducing overall system complexity while enabling multi-cluster interconnection.
2Reliability
If unique network segment resources are allocated to each node in multiple container clusters, then network resource conflicts are avoided, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective network segment allocation where only the necessary network resources are allocated to each node based on its actual communication needs. The virtual tunnel mechanism enables partial networking functionality to be shared across clusters, avoiding the need to allocate full network segments to every node while still ensuring unique identification and preventing conflicts.
Data Source
AI summary
A corresponding network segment resource is allocated, by interaction between a virtual local area network controller and a virtual local area network client, to each node in the multiple container clusters, a corresponding virtual local area network client is configured in each node. Node route information synchronized by the virtual local area network client in each node in the multiple container clusters is received, by the virtual local area network controller, and global node route information is recorded. The global node route information is obtained, by the virtual local area network client in each node, from the virtual local area network controller, and global node route information locally maintained in the node to which the virtual local area network client belongs is updated. Virtual tunnel encapsulation and decapsulation are controlled, by each node in the multiple container clusters based on the global node route information locally maintained by each node.