Network Function Virtualization Service Scalability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large provider networks face scalability issues with ad-hoc solutions for packet transformation requirements, particularly in virtualized computing environments where hundreds of thousands of virtual or physical machines process traffic concurrently, leading to inefficiencies in managing packet processing and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layered network function virtualization service (NFVS) with an action implementation layer and an action decision making layer, utilizing action implementation nodes and decision logic implementation nodes, allows clients to deploy customized packet processing actions without managing infrastructure, enabling scalable and efficient packet processing by caching and dynamically replicating resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ad-hoc solutions are used for packet transformation requirements, then customized packet processing can be achieved, but scalability deteriorates in large provider networks with hundreds of thousands of virtual or physical machines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network function virtualization service into multiple layers: a control plane that manages packet transformation logic and a data plane that performs actual packet processing. This segmentation allows customized packet processing capabilities to be distributed and managed independently, enabling scalability across hundreds of thousands of machines without requiring centralized ad-hoc solutions for each transformation requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal packet transformation service that can handle multiple types of packet processing requirements through a standardized interface. The control plane maintains a cache of packet transformations and can dynamically create new transformations, providing universal adaptability across different applications and scenarios while maintaining consistent scalability characteristics.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more networking and interconnectivity-related features are added to meet application requirements, then service capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of packet transformation logic from the data plane and places it in the control plane. The control plane maintains a cache of packet transformations and handles the complexity of creating and managing transformation rules, while the data plane simply executes cached transformations. This extraction allows service capability to be enhanced without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by caching packet transformations in the control plane before they are needed in the data plane. The control plane pre-processes and stores transformation logic, so when packets need transformation, the data plane can quickly apply cached transformations without complex real-time decision-making. This preliminary preparation reduces runtime complexity while maintaining high service capability.
3Productivity
If virtualization technologies are used to share physical hosts among multiple users, then hardware utilization is improved, but managing packet processing for hundreds of thousands of virtual machines becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary control plane that sits between the virtual machines and the physical infrastructure. The control plane maintains a cache of packet transformations and manages the complexity of packet processing for hundreds of thousands of virtual machines, while the data plane handles actual packet forwarding. This intermediary layer abstracts the complexity away from individual virtual machines, enabling high hardware utilization without proportional increases in management difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
A network function virtualization service includes an action implementation layer and an action decisions layer. On a flow of network traffic received at the service, the action implementation layer performs a packet processing action determined at the action decisions layer.