Network Traffic Metadata Transcoding for Ethernet Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing monitoring systems lose original metadata in tunneling headers due to removal or replacement before reaching end hosts, leading to incomplete data processing.
Innovation Solution
Network devices transcode metadata from tunneling headers into standard Ethernet frame fields to preserve and make it accessible to end hosts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If metadata is removed or replaced in tunneling headers before reaching end hosts, then processing compatibility is improved, but data completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the metadata from the tunneling header and places it into the Ethernet frame header. This copying approach allows the original tunneling header metadata to be preserved in the copy within the Ethernet frame, while the tunneling header itself can be modified or removed for compatibility. The monitoring end host can then access the metadata through the Ethernet frame header without requiring support for tunneling protocols.
2Loss of information
If metadata is preserved in tunneling headers, then data completeness is improved, but compatibility with standard Ethernet processing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The Ethernet frame header serves as an intermediary structure that carries the metadata originally intended for the tunneling header. By placing metadata in the Ethernet frame header fields (such as source MAC address, destination MAC address, or VLAN tags), the system enables standard Ethernet infrastructure and end hosts to access and process the metadata without requiring tunneling protocol support. This intermediary approach bridges the gap between metadata preservation and Ethernet compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device may receive a packet having a tunneling header. The tunneling header may include metadata. The network device may transcode the metadata for insertion into an Ethernet frame. The network device may output the Ethernet frame containing the transcoded metadata.