Multi-Domain Next-Hop Resolution Using Cross-Domain Color Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-domain ANR techniques face issues due to inconsistent color value usage and differing intent definitions across domains, leading to challenges in providing end-to-end transport paths in traffic engineering networks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a controller-based ANR system with a color mapping server that maintains mappings between different domain colors and intent definitions, allowing for end-to-end SR policy computation across multiple domains using hierarchical controllers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a same color value is used across all domains, then ANR provisioning is simplified, but color value conflicts occur when the same color represents different intents in different domains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a color mapping server as an intermediary component that maintains color mapping data between different domains. When an ingress-PE needs to provision a service across domains, the color mapping server translates the egress domain's color value into the corresponding color value in the ingress domain, preventing color conflicts while maintaining ANR functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the color space by domain, allowing each domain to independently manage its own color values and intent definitions. The color mapping data structure separates color values by domain (first domain colors, second domain colors) and establishes mappings between them, enabling independent domain operations without color conflicts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different domains use different intent definitions and conventions, then domain autonomy is maintained, but end-to-end SR policy computation becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The color mapping server acts as a mediator that handles the complexity of cross-domain intent mapping. It maintains color mapping data that correlates different domain's intent definitions through color value mappings, allowing ingress-PE to request SR policies without needing to understand or manage the complexity of remote domain conventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the egress domain's intent definition at the ingress domain through color mapping. The color mapping data contains intent definitions from both domains, allowing the ingress-PE to work with a local copy of the remote intent without direct access to the remote domain's configuration, simplifying the computation process.
3Reliability
If BGP LU is used for multi-domain ANR, then end-to-end transport paths can be established, but scalability is limited and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the color mapping functionality from the BGP LU protocol and implements it as a separate, dedicated color mapping server. This removes the dependency on BGP LU for color translation, allowing the system to maintain reliable end-to-end transport provisioning while reducing protocol complexity and improving scalability.
Solution Approach 2:
The color mapping server serves as an intermediary that handles color translation between domains, replacing the need for BGP LU in this function. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall system architecture by dedicating specific functionality to a specialized component rather than relying on a general-purpose routing protocol.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, in response to a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) update from an egress provider edge router connected to a destination customer network, receiving a request for an end-to-end SR policy or an end-to-end path from an ingress provider edge router, where the BGP update includes a prefix of the destination customer network and a first color; using color mapping data, determining a first domain associated with the first color and determining a second color to be associated with a second domain and mapped to the first color, where a color is a numerical value associated with a network intent of a domain, the color mapping data define mappings between different colors associated with different domains, and the mapped first color and second color enable identification of a first intent and a second intent that belong to the first domain and the second domain, respectively; and generating the end-to-end path reflecting each definition of the first and the second intents identified by the first color in the first domain and the second color in the second domain. Other embodiments are disclosed.