Observable Configuration Delivery for Hybrid Unicast-Multicast Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for delivering configuration parameters to networked computing devices are inefficient and costly, particularly when dealing with unicast messaging to individual devices and multicasting to groups with varying configurations.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a hybrid network architecture that orchestrates configuration updates through a central cloud and on-premises head-end service, supporting hierarchical configuration, prioritized scheduling, and fallback implicit prioritization to manage regular traffic and spikes efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If unicast messaging is used to deliver configuration parameters to each endpoint device, then unique parameters can be delivered to each device, but network bandwidth consumption increases and delivery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration delivery process into two distinct phases: a multicast phase for distributing common configuration parameters to all endpoint devices, and a unicast phase for delivering device-specific parameters. This segmentation allows the system to leverage the efficiency of multicast for bulk parameter distribution while reserving unicast only for necessary device-specific updates, thereby reducing overall network bandwidth consumption while maintaining the ability to deliver unique parameters to each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multicast and unicast delivery mechanisms into a hybrid configuration delivery system. The multicast mechanism is used to efficiently distribute common configuration parameters across multiple endpoint devices simultaneously, while the unicast mechanism supplements this by delivering device-specific parameters. This merging of both mechanisms allows the system to achieve both bandwidth efficiency and device-specific customization in a single integrated approach.
2Loss of energy
If multicast is used to send configuration parameters to multiple endpoint devices, then network bandwidth consumption is reduced, but the ability to provide different configurations to different devices is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments configuration parameters into two categories: common parameters that are identical across all endpoint devices and device-specific parameters that vary by device. The multicast mechanism is applied only to common parameters, maximizing bandwidth efficiency, while device-specific parameters are delivered through unicast. This segmentation allows the system to maintain the ability to provide different configurations to different devices without compromising the bandwidth efficiency of multicast.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by delivering configuration parameters with different characteristics to different devices. Common parameters are delivered with high efficiency through multicast to all devices, while device-specific parameters are delivered with customized content through unicast to individual devices. This approach ensures that each device receives the appropriate level of customization without unnecessarily reducing the efficiency of parameter delivery.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual transmissions are sent to each endpoint device, then configuration parameters can be delivered uniquely, but delivery cost and inefficiency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration delivery task into a bulk multicast operation for common parameters and targeted unicast operations for device-specific parameters. By processing common parameters once through multicast rather than individually for each device, the system dramatically improves delivery efficiency while still maintaining the ability to customize configurations for each device through the supplementary unicast phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multicast and unicast delivery mechanisms into a unified configuration delivery system that processes both common and device-specific parameters in an integrated manner. This merging allows the system to achieve high delivery efficiency through multicast for common parameters while maintaining customization capability through unicast, thereby improving overall productivity without sacrificing adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method for observable configuration delivery include, for each target tenants of a plurality of target tenants, determining a corresponding last unicast configuration change request (CCR) received; determining a number of previously unbooked unicast CCRs for the plurality of target tenants, a previously unbooked unicast CCR being a last unicast CCR received that has not been booked into a distribution to be submitted to a headend service (HES); booking the previously unbooked unicast CCRs into one or more distributions based on the number of the previously unbooked unicast CCRs and a configured capacity of each distribution of the one or more distributions; and sending the one or more distributions to the HES for sending the booked previously unbooked unicast CCRs to the plurality of target tenants.