OpenFlow Switch Packet Prioritization for Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In OPENFLOW networks, when there are too many unsuccessfully matched data packets, the forwarding load exceeds the capability of the OPENFLOW switch, leading to the discard of important data packets.
Innovation Solution
A data packet processing method and device that determines a target priority for newly-established data packets and reports them to the controller, ensuring that high-priority packets are forwarded preferentially by updating priorities in the flow table and using a multi-flow table structure to manage packet forwarding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the OPENFLOW switch forwards all unsuccessfully matched data packets to the controller, then the reliability of data transmission is improved, but the forwarding load exceeds the forwarding capability of the switch when there are too many packets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different priority levels to different data packets based on their characteristics. High-priority packets are forwarded to the controller while low-priority packets are discarded, allowing the switch to focus its limited forwarding capability on important traffic. This resolves the contradiction by making the forwarding behavior selective rather than uniform, maintaining reliability for critical packets while staying within forwarding capacity limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of packet priority to resolve the contradiction. By introducing priority as a variable parameter and using it to filter which packets are forwarded to the controller, the system can maintain data transmission reliability for important packets while controlling the overall forwarding load. The priority parameter acts as a selection criterion that balances reliability requirements with forwarding capability constraints.
2Productivity
If the OPENFLOW switch discards low-priority data packets to reduce forwarding load, then the forwarding capability is preserved, but important data packets may be discarded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different packets differently based on their priority characteristics. Instead of uniform discarding or forwarding, the switch selectively forwards high-priority packets and discards low-priority packets. This local differentiation ensures that important packets are preserved while still reducing the overall forwarding load to within capability limits, thus maintaining reliability where it matters most.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms where the switch evaluates each unsuccessfully matched packet's priority before deciding whether to forward it to the controller. This feedback-based decision process ensures that forwarding actions are taken only when necessary and within capacity constraints, preventing important packets from being discarded while maintaining forwarding capability for essential traffic.
3Reliability
If the switch forwards all unsuccessfully matched packets to the controller, then no important packets are discarded, but the controller receives excessive traffic and processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary subset of unsuccessfully matched packets (those with high priority) and forwards them to the controller, while leaving low-priority packets to be discarded locally by the switch. This extraction principle reduces the traffic load on the controller to only what is essential for maintaining reliability, thereby reducing controller processing time while still preventing important packets from being discarded.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of packet selection from 'all packets' to 'priority-based filtered packets'. By introducing priority as a filtering parameter, the controller receives only high-priority packets that require its processing, reducing overall processing time. Meanwhile, the reliability requirement is maintained because all high-priority packets are still forwarded to the controller for proper handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A data packet processing method, Where the method includes matching a received data packet in a flow table, and determining the received data packet as a newly-established data packet, where the newly-established data packet is a data packet that needs to be reported to a controller to determine a processing manner, determining a target priority of the newly-established data packet, and reporting the newly-established data packet to the controller according to the target priority. Priorities of data packets entering an OPENFLOW switch are determined, and for unsuccessfully matched data packets, a data packet having a high priority is forwarded preferentially according to the priorities, thereby ensuring that data having a high priority is not discarded.