OpenFlow Monitoring Gateway Protocol Translation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern packet-based digital communications networks face challenges in monitoring and managing devices like OpenFlow switches, which have limited computational capability, making them incompatible with standard network management protocols, and struggle with high volumes of network management requests, while also requiring robust authentication and privacy in multi-tenant datacenters.

Innovation Solution

A network management gateway that translates between communication protocols, processes network monitoring requests efficiently, provides secure authentication and access control, and offers virtualized management software to handle requests without addressing changes, utilizing a sophisticated processor to handle requests from limited-intelligence switches and virtual machines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If OpenFlow switches use specialized electronic circuitry to achieve high switching capacity, then packet forwarding speed is improved, but computational capability for network management protocols deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket forwarding speedVSAvoidcomputational capability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between the OpenFlow switch and the network management system. The gateway runs full network management protocol stacks and translates between OpenFlow messages and standard network management protocols like SNMP, allowing the switch to maintain high-speed forwarding while the gateway handles complex management tasks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system separates the control plane into two parts: the OpenFlow switch handles high-speed packet forwarding in the data plane, while the gateway handles network management protocol processing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If OpenFlow switches have limited intelligence to achieve high speed, then packet processing speed is improved, but ability to perform network diagnosis and monitoring deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket processing speedVSAvoidnetwork diagnosis capability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway acts as an intermediary that collects detailed network state information from the OpenFlow switch through OpenFlow protocol messages and performs network diagnosis and monitoring functions. This allows the switch to remain simple and fast while the gateway provides comprehensive monitoring and diagnostic capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If standard network management protocols are implemented with OpenFlow switches, then management functionality is improved, but switching performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement functionalityVSAvoidswitching performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway serves as a mediator that implements full network management protocol stacks (SNMP, NetConf, etc.) and translates between these protocols and OpenFlow messages. This allows standard network management functionality to be available without requiring the OpenFlow switch itself to process complex management protocols, thus preserving switching performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If OpenFlow switches handle high volumes of network management requests, then management coverage is improved, but processing capacity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement coverageVSAvoidprocessing capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway with its sophisticated processor handles all network management requests, translating them into OpenFlow messages for the switch. This allows the system to manage high volumes of management traffic without overloading the switch's limited supervisory processor, maintaining both management coverage and processing capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11258653B1Monitoring gateway systems and methods for openflow type networks

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 WALDBUSSER STEVEN

AI summary

A network management gateway device, method, and software is disclosed which communicates and translates between more sophisticated digital data network monitoring devices and managers, such as SNMP managers, and managed network devices, such as OpenFlow packet switches, which often are not sophisticated enough to respond to SNMP or REST type monitoring methods. This gateway may communicate with managed devices in one or more of a variety of modes. The manager may communicate with the gateway directly, or be configured to communicate with the managed device while the communications are redirected to the gateway and processed by the gateway. In some embodiments, the gateway may use the OpenFlow protocol to communicate management data with an OpenFlow switch and to install a flow in the switch to redirect management traffic to the gateway. Other routers and switches may also be used to redirect network management traffic to the gateway as well.