Network Node Forwarding Table Switching Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Communications networks face delays due to the need for generating and distributing new forwarding tables when failures occur, as existing routing nodes rely on specific tables for data routing and lack efficient mechanisms to adapt to link failures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where each network node receives batches of forwarding tables, including a primary and multiple backup tables, and automatically switches to backup tables upon detecting link quality changes, allowing continued data routing without interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If routing nodes generate new forwarding tables when failures occur, then network routing can adapt to failures, but network delays increase due to the generation and distribution process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and distributing multiple forwarding tables (primary and backup) to routing nodes before failures occur. When a failure is detected, nodes can immediately switch to a pre-prepared backup table without waiting for new tables to be generated and distributed, thus eliminating the delay associated with real-time table generation and distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by maintaining multiple backup forwarding tables at each routing node. These backup tables serve as a cushion or buffer that can be activated immediately upon failure detection, preventing service interruption and avoiding the time penalty of generating new routing tables during actual failures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If routing nodes use multiple forwarding tables and select based on protocol or priority, then routing flexibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the forwarding table selection dynamic and failure-driven rather than protocol-driven. Instead of maintaining multiple tables for different protocols or priorities, nodes dynamically switch between a primary table and backup tables based on failure detection, simplifying the management structure while maintaining adaptability to network conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary action to pre-organize forwarding tables into primary and backup categories before failures occur. This pre-organization simplifies the selection logic at runtime, as nodes only need to switch from primary to backup tables based on simple failure detection rather than complex protocol analysis, thereby reducing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A communications network (100) includes at least one control station (160) and a group of network nodes (110, 120, 140). The at least one control station (160) generates batches of forwarding tables (300), where each batch of forwarding tables (300) includes a primary forwarding table (305) and a group of backup forwarding tables (310), and forwards the batches of forwarding tables (300). Each of the network nodes (110, 120, 140) is associated with one or more outbound and inbound links and is configured to receive a batch of forwarding tables (300) from the at least one control station (160) and install the primary forwarding table (305) from the batch (300) as a current forwarding table. Each network node (110, 120, 140) is further configured to detect that a quality of one of an outbound and inbound link has changed, generate a message (900) instructing other nodes of the group of network nodes (110, 120, 140) to switch to a backup forwarding table (310) in response to detecting the quality change, and transmit the message (900) to the other nodes.