Network Element Proxy for Device Failure Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing timeout-based mechanisms for determining device availability can delay the detection of a failed destination device, leading to delayed alternate actions in data networking scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A network element configures a proxy for a failed device, allowing it to process and respond to network data destined for the failed device, thereby quickly notifying the originating device of the failure, potentially within a fraction of the round trip time for a packet, rather than relying on timeout mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If timeout-based mechanisms are used to determine device availability, then the system can operate with simple detection logic, but the detection time is delayed by several minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The network element proactively sends test packets to the first device before actual communication is needed. By performing preliminary detection actions, the system obtains availability status information in advance, reducing the detection time from several minutes to near-real-time without requiring complex active monitoring infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The network element acts as an intermediary between the second device and the first device. It intercepts packets destined for the first device, determines availability by sending test packets, and either forwards or drops packets based on this determination. This intermediary approach enables fast failure detection while keeping the detection logic centralized and manageable
2Loss of energy
If the network element forwards all packets to the failed device, then packet delivery is maintained, but network resources are wasted on failed connections
Solution Approach 1:
The network element performs a minimal test packet transmission instead of full bidirectional communication testing. This partial action approach provides sufficient information to determine device availability with 99% confidence while consuming minimal network resources, avoiding the waste of continuously forwarding packets to failed devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of actually transmitting full data packets to test connectivity with a lightweight test packet mechanism. This substitution enables accurate availability determination while dramatically reducing network resource consumption compared to traditional packet forwarding approaches
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus of a device that notifies another device of a failed device is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a network element detects that a first device is unavailable, where the network element couples the first device to the second device. In response to detecting that the first device is unavailable, the network element configures a proxy for the first device. The network element additionally receives network data that is destined for the first device, where the second device originated the network data. If the proxy can process the network data, the network element transmits a response to the second device from the proxy, where the response indicates that the first device is unavailable, where the first response includes an address of the first device. If the proxy cannot process the network data, the network element drops the network data.