Network Interface Dampeners for Link State Toggle Bursts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network devices face significant processing burdens due to link state toggling bursts, which occur when network interfaces rapidly transition between up and down states, leading to inefficient authentication and service denial for connected end devices.
Innovation Solution
A dampening engine is implemented in network devices to detect link state toggling bursts, temporarily disabling network interfaces for varying recovery windows to alleviate processing overload, using random or pseudorandom duration selection to spread out re-enablement times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network interfaces rapidly transition between up and down states during authentication, then authentication can be performed, but processing overhead increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dampening mechanism that introduces periodic action by disabling network interfaces for a predetermined time period after authentication. This prevents continuous link state toggling and reduces processing overhead while maintaining authentication capability. The interface is re-enabled periodically rather than responding to every toggle event.
2Productivity
If network interfaces are disabled to reduce processing overhead, then authentication efficiency improves, but service availability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-disabling network interfaces for a predetermined time period after successful authentication. This anticipates potential toggle bursts before they occur, ensuring authentication efficiency is maintained while service availability is preserved through the predetermined re-enablement timing.
3Productivity
If multiple end devices power up simultaneously causing link state toggling bursts, then network connectivity is established, but network device performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The dampening mechanism acts as an intermediary between the network interface and the authentication process. It mediates the link state toggling by introducing a time-based filter that allows initial connectivity establishment while blocking subsequent toggle bursts that would degrade network device performance.
4Measurement precision
If network interfaces respond to every link state change, then link state monitoring is accurate, but processing resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful aspect of link state monitoring by selectively disabling the interface response to toggle events during the dampening period. This maintains accurate monitoring of genuine link state changes while removing the burden of processing spurious toggle events that consume processing resources.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique includes determining that a rate at which a link state of a network interface of a network device changes violates a predetermined rate threshold. The technique includes, responsive to determining that the rate violates the predetermined rate threshold, dampening network activity associated with the network interface. The dampening includes regulating the duration of a recovery time period based on a randomly-generated time value or a pseudorandomly-generated time value. The dampening includes measuring the recovery time period and disabling the network interface responsive to the measuring of the recovery time period. The dampening includes, responsive to an end of measuring the recovery period, re-enabling the network interface.