OpenFlow Gateway Redundancy Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) faces challenges in providing flexible and efficient gateway redundancy, as it requires all routers to support the protocol, leading to complex upgrades and potential delays in implementing changes specific to customer applications.
Innovation Solution
A gateway redundancy system utilizing an OpenFlow controller to manage network devices, allowing for simpler routers and faster upgrades by designating master and backup gateways based on communication and performance, without relying on the VRRP protocol, enabling easier customization and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If VRRP protocol is used for gateway redundancy, then gateway redundancy is provided, but device complexity and upgrade difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gateway redundancy functionality from the VRRP protocol requirement. Instead of requiring routers to support VRRP, the system uses a controller that sends messages to gateway devices and implements redundancy logic centrally, removing the protocol complexity from individual router devices while maintaining gateway redundancy capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary between the redundancy management system and the gateway devices. The controller handles the complexity of redundancy management by sending messages to gateways and making decisions about master/backup designation, acting as a mediator that simplifies the requirements for gateway devices themselves.
2Reliability
If VRRP protocol is required for all routers, then gateway redundancy is achieved, but upgrade speed and flexibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the VRRP protocol requirement from individual router devices, extracting the redundancy management functionality to a central controller. This allows routers to remain simple and enables faster upgrades since changes can be implemented at the controller level without requiring protocol updates on all router devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of gateway devices by not requiring them to run VRRP protocol. Instead, they simply respond to messages from the controller and follow instructions for master/backup designation, fundamentally changing how redundancy is achieved and enabling faster system evolution.
3Reliability
If VRRP advertisement packets are sent, then master gateway status is maintained, but network traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces continuous VRRP advertisement packets with periodic message-based status verification. The controller sends messages to the master gateway at intervals to verify status, and the gateway responds when needed rather than continuously broadcasting, reducing overall network traffic while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The master gateway device maintains its status and responds to controller verification messages based on its own operational state without needing to continuously advertise. The system uses event-driven communication where the gateway serves itself by responding only when status changes or when queried by the controller, reducing unnecessary traffic.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementing gateway redundancy in a network includes sending a message to a first device of multiple devices of a network through a controller where the first device is a master gateway and a second device of the multiple devices is a backup gateway, and making a decision as to whether the first device remains as the master gateway.