N-way Routing Protection Multicast State Sync
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing routing protection systems, especially those using commodity hardware, face reliability challenges as they require multiple failures to ensure service continuity, leading to potential downtime and inefficiencies in message transmission between active and standby network elements.
Innovation Solution
Implementing N-way routing protection with multicast transmission to reduce the number of messages sent between network elements, allowing for improved reliability by aggregating state information and using standby network elements to maintain session states, thereby minimizing downtime and acknowledgment storms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unicast transmission is used to replicate state information from active to standby network elements, then each standby element receives individual messages ensuring reliable state synchronization, but the number of messages increases significantly to (N-1) x 2 messages per state update
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast transmissions into a single multicast transmission. Instead of sending individual state update messages from each active network element to N-1 standby elements, a single multicast message is broadcast to all standby elements simultaneously, reducing message complexity from O(N) to O(1).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a multicast group as an intermediary mechanism. Standby network elements join multicast groups corresponding to their protected active elements, allowing state information to be distributed efficiently through the network infrastructure rather than requiring direct point-to-point communication channels.
2Reliability
If multiple backup devices are used to ensure service continuity, then reliability improves by immediately replacing failed primary devices, but the system fails if both primary and backup devices fail simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables standby network elements to serve multiple purposes: they act as backups for active elements while simultaneously functioning as potential active elements themselves. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of devices needed while maintaining the same reliability level, as any standby element can take over any active element's role.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic role assignment where network elements can transition between active and standby states based on system conditions. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to failures efficiently and optimize resource utilization, with elements changing roles as needed rather than having fixed assignments.
3Quantity of substance
If N-way routing protection is implemented with multicast transmission, then the number of messages is reduced to N messages per state update, but acknowledgment management becomes more complex to avoid acknowledgment storms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary actions by having standby network elements send acknowledgment messages in advance or use delayed acknowledgments. This approach prevents acknowledgment storms by spreading out acknowledgment traffic over time rather than having all N-1 standbys send acknowledgments simultaneously upon receiving a state update.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic acknowledgment mechanisms where standbys send acknowledgments at scheduled intervals or based on throttling logic, rather than immediately upon receiving each state update. This periodic approach smooths out traffic bursts and prevents network overload from simultaneous acknowledgments.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of routing protection is provided comprising: receiving, by one or more processors of an active network element from a remote peer device, a plurality of data packets; sending, by the one or more processors of the active network element to a plurality of standby network elements, a multicast data packet comprising combined data of the plurality of data packets; receiving, by the one or more processors of the active network element from at least one of the standby network elements, an acknowledgment of receipt of the multicast data packet; and in response to the receipt of the acknowledgment, sending, by the one or more processors of the active network element to the remote peer device, an acknowledgment of receipt of the plurality of data packets.