OpenFlow Controller Multi-Tenancy IP Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software-defined networking (SDN) systems face scalability challenges in supporting multiple tenants with different network topologies and controller applications, particularly in managing IP address allocation efficiently across virtualized environments.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves moving the DHCP address allocation procedure from the P-GW control plane to an openflow controller, allowing each virtual network operator to have its dedicated DHCP server and using a wrapper protocol to manage IP address allocation independently of the underlying transport topology, enabling flexible and scalable IP address management across multiple tenants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If DHCP address allocation is performed in the P-GW control plane for each virtual network operator, then each tenant can have dedicated IP address management, but the system complexity and resource consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the DHCP server functionality into a shared openflow controller that serves multiple virtual network operators simultaneously. Instead of each tenant having a separate DHCP server instance, a single controller with multi-tenancy capabilities handles IP address allocation for all tenants, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining dedicated management for each operator through virtualization and namespace isolation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dedicated DHCP servers are deployed for each virtual network operator, then IP address allocation can be customized per tenant, but the resource consumption and deployment overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The openflow controller is designed with universal multi-functionality to serve multiple virtual network operators simultaneously. A single controller instance performs DHCP address allocation for multiple tenants, each with their own customization requirements, by utilizing namespace isolation and virtualization techniques. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated servers for each operator, significantly reducing resource consumption while maintaining tenant-specific allocation policies.
3Quantity of substance
If a centralized DHCP server is used for all tenants, then resource efficiency improves, but the ability to provide tenant-specific network topologies and IP address management decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements logical segmentation within the centralized openflow controller by creating isolated namespaces for each virtual network operator. Each tenant's IP address management and network topology configurations are segmented into separate namespaces, allowing the centralized server to efficiently serve multiple tenants while maintaining tenant-specific customization. This segmentation approach preserves resource efficiency of centralization while enabling adaptability for individual tenant requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A processing entity (10) requests an SDN control entity (20) of a virtual network system to perform a specific function for an application processed by the processing entity (10), and indicates an identification of a virtual network operator associated with the application to the SDN control entity (20). The SDN control entity (20) receives the request and performs (S2) the specific function based on the identification of the virtual network operator.