Network Partitioning for Scalable Domain Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Scalability issues in computer networks become unmanageable as the number of servers increases, leading to high hardware costs and operational complexity due to large routing tables and NP-complete problems in network traffic management.
Innovation Solution
The network is partitioned into distinct physical or overlay domains interconnected in a hardware or software-defined hierarchy, allowing control and forwarding plane functions to be managed independently within each domain, reducing hardware costs and operational complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number of servers in the network increases, then the network capacity and coverage are improved, but the routing table size and operational complexity increase to unmanageable levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into multiple domains, each with its own routing table. Instead of one global routing table containing all servers, each domain maintains a local routing table containing only servers within that domain. This segmentation allows the network to scale to millions of servers while keeping individual routing tables manageable in size.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of servers in the network increases, then the network capacity and coverage are improved, but the hardware costs and operational complexity increase to unmanageable levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments both control plane functions and forwarding plane functions across multiple domains. Each domain independently manages its own control plane and forwarding plane operations, eliminating the need for a single centralized controller to manage all servers. This segmentation reduces operational complexity by allowing distributed management of network operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to network management by organizing domains in levels. Control plane functions operate at multiple hierarchical levels, with higher-level domains managing routing between lower-level domains. This dimensional organization allows complex network operations to be decomposed into simpler, level-specific tasks.
3Adaptability or versatility
If network traffic management techniques are implemented across millions of end points, then traffic engineering and load balancing capabilities are improved, but the computational complexity of NP-complete problems becomes unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments traffic engineering and load balancing operations to occur independently within each domain rather than across the entire network. This segmentation transforms globally complex NP-complete problems into smaller, domain-specific problems that are computationally manageable. Each domain's traffic management only needs to consider its local servers and traffic patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies hierarchical organization to traffic management, where higher-level domains handle inter-domain traffic engineering and lower-level domains handle intra-domain traffic management. This dimensional decomposition allows traffic engineering capabilities to scale across millions of end points while maintaining computational feasibility at each level.
Data Source
AI summary
Various techniques for partitioning a computer network is disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, control plane functions (e.g., computation of network routes) and/or forwarding plane functions (e.g., routing, forwarding, switching) may be partitioned and performed individually on per domain basis based on (1) a network configuration of a particular domain (e.g., end points and/or lower-level domains in the particular domain); and (2) one or more higher-level domains connected to the particular domain in the hierarchy. Thus, a particular domain can manage various network operations of the domain without concerns regarding end points or network nodes in other domains of the hierarchy. Thus, network configuration and operation may be partitioned to reduce hardware costs and operational complexity even as the size of the overall computer networks increases.