Network Overload Handling via Direct Pushback Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for handling network overload often lead to network failures as they either ignore overload or distribute traffic imbalances, causing a cascade of overload across network elements, resulting in communication disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method where an overloaded network element directly sends a pushback message to the originating client, including retry-after or request gapping information, allowing the client to manage request frequency and route requests through less congested network elements, thereby maintaining network functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traffic load is balanced between network elements in the cluster, then the load distribution is improved, but all elements approach overload at the same time causing a cascade failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the overloaded network element directly communicates with the originating client through a pushback message, bypassing the load balancer. This direct communication allows the client to adjust its request rate without affecting other network elements, thus preventing cascade overload while maintaining load distribution benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the overload handling responsibility from the load balancing function. Instead of having the load balancer manage both traffic distribution and overload control (which causes cascade effects), the overload control is segmented and handled directly by the overloaded element communicating with the client, isolating the problem to a single element.
2Device complexity
If conventional pushback messages are processed by intervening network elements, then the message routing is simplified, but the overloaded element cannot directly control client request rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pushback message handling from the conventional routing path through load balancers and directly connects the overloaded element to the client. This extraction allows the overloaded element to directly impose its will on the client's request rate without interference from intermediate elements that would otherwise process and potentially mask the overload condition.
3Reliability
If requests are discarded when the network element becomes full, then the element avoids overload, but communication between clients is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of silently discarding requests when full, the patent implements a feedback mechanism where the overloaded element sends pushback messages to the client, informing it of the overload condition. This feedback allows the client to adjust its behavior and reduce request rate, maintaining communication flow while preventing element instability through cooperative overload management.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for handling network overload includes receiving one or more requests, wherein an originating client originates the one or more requests. It is determined if a network element handling the one or more requests is overloaded. If the network element is overloaded, a pushback message associated with a specific request of the one or more requests is generated. The pushback message is sent to the originating client.