Network Device Forwarding Path Computation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional IP/MPLS networks fail to provide deterministic low transmission delay, which is critical for services like fronthaul, IoT, and industrial control, despite prioritization efforts, due to shared resource utilization and lack of performance-based path selection mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A method where network devices compute a forwarding path by receiving notification packets with interface and device forwarding delay information from nodes, and transmission delay data, to establish a path that meets specific delay requirements, ensuring deterministic low transmission delay and reliability for service packets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If various services share network resources in a conventional IP/MPLS network, then resource utilization is improved, but deterministic low transmission delay cannot be guaranteed for delay-sensitive services

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilizationVSAvoiddeterministic delay guarantee
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments network resources by introducing dedicated delay-sensitive service resource pools separate from general service resources. This segmentation ensures that delay-sensitive services have guaranteed bandwidth and low transmission delay while other services utilize shared resources, thus resolving the contradiction between resource utilization and deterministic delay guarantee

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by providing different service quality levels to different service types. Delay-sensitive services receive prioritized handling with guaranteed resources and performance metrics, while other services use standard resource sharing, allowing high resource utilization overall while ensuring deterministic performance where required

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If priority provisioning is implemented for some services, then service differentiation is improved, but performance requirements of delay-sensitive services still cannot be met

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice differentiationVSAvoidperformance requirement fulfillment
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes key network parameters by introducing dedicated resource pools with guaranteed bandwidth, prioritized scheduling, and explicit performance metrics for delay-sensitive services. This goes beyond simple priority provisioning by establishing hard guarantees on transmission delay and resource allocation, ensuring performance requirements are actually met rather than just differentiated

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If notification packets with detailed delay information are collected from all forwarding nodes, then path computation accuracy is improved, but network device processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepath computation accuracyVSAvoidnetwork device processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential delay information parameters from forwarding nodes and transmits them via notification packets to the network device. By taking out only the critical metrics needed for path computation rather than all possible network parameters, the system achieves accurate path computation while keeping processing complexity manageable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3687124B1Method and network device for computing forwarding path
Publication Date: 2023.10.04 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3687124B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3687124B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3687124B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

This application discloses a method for computing a forwarding path. The method includes: receiving, by a network device, notification packets separately sent by a plurality of forwarding nodes, where each notification packet includes interface forwarding delay information of the forwarding node that sends the notification packet, device forwarding delay information of the forwarding node that sends the notification packet, and a transmission delay of a link connected to the forwarding node that sends the notification packet; obtaining, by the network device, the interface forwarding delay information and the device forwarding delay information of each of the plurality of forwarding nodes based on the notification packet, and obtaining a transmission delay of a link between the plurality of forwarding nodes based on the notification packet; and computing, by the network device, a forwarding path between a first forwarding node and a second forwarding node based on the interface forwarding delay information and the device forwarding delay information of each forwarding node and the transmission delay of the link between the plurality of forwarding nodes, where a forwarding delay of the forwarding path meets a delay requirement of a service.