Network Fabric Control via Labelled Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network fabrics face challenges such as labor-intensive manual management, delays, and performance issues due to the need for manual configuration of physical devices and the abstraction of underlying physical infrastructure in virtual networks, leading to difficulties in load balancing and quality of service prioritization.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses labelled paths in a network fabric, allowing for automated configuration and management through a software-defined networking (SDN) controller, enabling efficient data communication by assigning labels to paths and configuring switches to direct packets along these paths, thereby reducing the need for intermediaries and encapsulation, and allowing for load balancing and quality of service optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual management and configuration of physical network devices is used, then network fabric can be established, but labor costs are high and delays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical configuration of network devices with an automated electronic system. The fabric control system uses software-defined networking controllers to programmatically configure switches and routers, eliminating the need for technicians to physically travel to each device and manually configure them through command line interfaces. This substitution of mechanical/manual operations with automated electronic control directly resolves the contradiction by dramatically increasing configuration speed while eliminating time losses associated with technician travel and manual setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric control system enables the network fabric to configure itself automatically without human intervention. The system includes automated path determination, label assignment, and switch configuration capabilities that allow the network to self-organize when new endpoints or switches are added. This self-service mechanism eliminates dependency on technician availability and manual configuration processes, directly addressing the productivity and time loss issues.
2Adaptability or versatility
If virtual network fabric overlay is used, then physical infrastructure abstraction is achieved, but load balancing and quality of service prioritization become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary fabric control system that sits between the virtual network fabric overlay and the physical infrastructure. This intermediary maintains visibility into the physical network topology and device states while managing the virtual overlay. The control system includes components that can determine optimal paths through the physical infrastructure, apply load balancing algorithms, and enforce quality of service policies by manipulating packet labels and switch configurations. This intermediary layer resolves the contradiction by preserving physical infrastructure visibility and control capabilities while maintaining virtual network abstraction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric control system segments the network management functions into distinct modular components: path determination modules, label assignment modules, switch configuration modules, and monitoring modules. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks such as load balancing or QoS enforcement independently. The modular architecture enables fine-grained control over different aspects of network traffic management, making it easier to implement and optimize load balancing and QoS policies without managing the entire virtual overlay as a monolithic system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different teams manage virtual and physical network fabrics through different tools, then specialized management is achieved, but coordination and optimization become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the management of virtual and physical network fabrics into a single unified fabric control system. Rather than having separate teams use different tools, the system integrates virtual network overlay management with physical infrastructure control in one cohesive platform. The unified system includes integrated controllers that can simultaneously manage virtual switch configurations and physical switch states, coordinate path routing across both layers, and apply policies consistently across the entire fabric. This merging reduces management complexity by eliminating the need for inter-team coordination and multiple separate toolsets, while preserving the specialized management capabilities through modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for controlling a network fabric are disclosed. Labels are assigned to paths between endpoints in the network fabric. Switches in the path are configured to communicate data communication packets having the label along the path. Upon receiving a first data communication packet from a first one of the switches in the network fabric for communication to a destination endpoint over the network fabric, the label for a path from the first switch to the destination is obtained, the first packet is communicated to the destination endpoint and the first switch is caused to communicate subsequent data communication packets corresponding to the first data communication packet over the path.