Network Device Fault Tolerance Through Redundant Link-State Updates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing network device systems lack robustness and fault tolerance in the face of abnormal communication situations such as data errors, network failures, or malicious attacks, primarily due to direct communication methods between switches and controllers.
Innovation Solution
A fault-tolerant method and apparatus that involves a network device system with a source switch, first and second switch units, a master controller, and an auxiliary controller, where link state change information is transmitted redundantly through these components to enhance fault tolerance, including random selection of switches and use of redundant information transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If direct communication manner is used between switch and controller, then communication simplicity is improved, but fault tolerance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by having the source switch transmit both the original link state change information to the master controller and a copy of the information to randomly selected switches in the first and second switch units. This redundancy ensures that even if the direct communication path is compromised by data errors, network failures, or malicious attacks, the fault tolerance is maintained through multiple copies of the same information distributed across different communication paths.
2Reliability
If redundant information transmission is implemented, then fault tolerance is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the switch units into first switch units (outside influence range) and second switch units (within influence range), and by having the source switch randomly select switches from these segmented units for receiving copies of link state change information. This structured segmentation organizes the redundancy mechanism, making the complexity manageable while maintaining fault tolerance through distributed information copies across segmented network segments.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a fault-tolerant method and apparatus for a network device system, a computer device, and a storage medium. The method includes: when the link state changes, the source switch acquires and transmits link state change information to the master controller, randomly selects a switch from the first switch unit or the second switch unit, and transmits a copy of the link state change information to the selected switch; such that the master controller forwards the link state change information to the second switch unit, the auxiliary controller receives the copy of the link state change information transmitted by the switch selected by the source switch and transmits it to the second switch unit; after the second switch unit updates the local routing table according to the acquired information, the master controller transmits confirmation information to the source switch.