Network Digital Twin Framework With Byzantine Consensus Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Next generation networks face challenges in achieving resiliency against fault-attack-failure-outage (FAFO) events due to the limitations of centralized and decentralized digital twin (DT) architectures, which fail to ensure consistency, synchronization, and security in managing decentralized datasets, leading to potential failures and attacks.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid centralized-distributed DT management approach is employed, leveraging Byzantine-generals based consensus protocols and M of N redundancy, combined with execution checkpointing logs, to synchronize DTs and ensure resiliency across edge and cloud environments, balancing computational power, storage capacity, latency, and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized digital twin management approach is used, then data consistency and security are improved, but system complexity and single points of failure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital twin management system into a hierarchical architecture with multiple levels: cloud-based management nodes for centralized coordination and edge-based digital twin nodes for local execution. This segmentation allows the system to maintain data consistency through centralized control while distributing computational tasks to reduce single points of failure and manage complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the system architecture, transitioning from a flat centralized or fully distributed model to a multi-level hierarchy. The cloud management layer handles strategic coordination and data consistency, while edge execution layers handle local operations, effectively managing complexity through dimensional separation.
2Reliability
If distributed digital twin nodes are deployed at edge locations, then system resiliency and fault tolerance are improved, but data consistency and coordination complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments coordination responsibilities by deploying digital twin nodes at multiple edge locations with hierarchical relationships. Each node maintains local autonomy for fault tolerance while the hierarchical structure provides standardized coordination protocols, reducing the complexity of managing distributed systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where edge nodes report status and data to higher-level management nodes, which then coordinate changes and propagate instructions downward. This feedback loop enables consistent coordination across distributed nodes without requiring complex peer-to-peer negotiation protocols.
3Reliability
If redundant digital twin copies are maintained at multiple locations, then service availability and resiliency are improved, but computational resources and storage capacity requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining digital twin copies at different hierarchical levels with different levels of detail and update frequency. Edge nodes maintain more detailed local copies for immediate operations, while cloud nodes maintain simplified summaries for coordination, reducing the total computational resources required compared to uniform high-fidelity replication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial replication where not all digital twin data is replicated to all locations. Critical real-time data is replicated to edge nodes for local processing, while comprehensive historical data and detailed models are maintained only at cloud nodes, reducing overall storage and computational requirements while maintaining service availability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and techniques for digital twin framework for next generation networks are described herein. A digital twin model may be generated for physical nodes of an edge network. The digital twin model may include a digital twin for a physical node of the physical nodes. An error may be identified of the physical node or the digital twin for the physical node. The digital twin model may be updated to halt communication with the physical node or the digital twin of the physical node. A path may be created to another physical node or a digital twin of the another physical node in the digital twin model.