Network Traffic Metadata Transcoding for End Host Access
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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 ensure end hosts can access the metadata.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If metadata is removed or replaced from tunneling headers before reaching end hosts, then packet processing compatibility is improved, but metadata availability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a monitoring network as an intermediary between the production network and end hosts. This monitoring network captures tunneled packets, extracts metadata from tunneling headers, and forwards packets to end hosts through a delivery network device. The intermediary preserves metadata that would otherwise be lost, while enabling compatible packet processing at end hosts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network into distinct functional components: a production network generating tunneled packets, a monitoring network capturing and processing packets, and a delivery network device forwarding packets to end hosts. This segmentation allows metadata to be preserved in the monitoring network while enabling compatible processing at end hosts.
2Loss of information
If tunneling headers with metadata are preserved in packets, then metadata availability is improved, but end host compatibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring network device acts as an intermediary that extracts metadata from tunneling headers and forwards packets through a delivery network device to end hosts. This intermediary approach preserves metadata availability in the monitoring network while ensuring end hosts receive packets in a compatible format.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring network device creates a copy of the tunneled packet, extracts metadata from the tunneling header of the copy, and forwards the packet through the delivery network device to end hosts. This copying mechanism allows metadata to be preserved and analyzed separately while maintaining end host compatibility.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3
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.