Opportunistic SD-WAN Mesh Peering to Reduce Hub Router Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spoke routers in a hub-and-spoke SD-WAN topology are unable to determine whether a direct path bypassing the hub router would provide improved performance, leading to suboptimal routing and increased computational and network demands on the hub router.
Innovation Solution
Spoke routers modify packets with metadata to establish peering connections directly with other spoke routers, bypassing the hub router when path quality metrics meet or exceed performance requirements, using in-flow performance monitoring to reduce network resource consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If spoke routers forward all traffic through the hub router in a hub-and-spoke topology, then network management and routing control are simplified, but routing performance deteriorates due to increased latency and computational demands on the hub router
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic routing where spoke routers can switch between hub-and-spoke topology (for simplified management) and direct peering connections (for improved performance). The system dynamically selects the optimal path based on real-time network conditions, allowing spoke routers to bypass the hub when direct connections are available and beneficial.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network traffic into two categories: traffic that should flow through the hub router (for centralized control and management) and traffic that can flow directly between spoke routers (for improved performance). This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplified hub-and-spoke routing for control traffic while enabling direct peering for data traffic that benefits from lower latency.
2Loss of time
If spoke routers establish direct peering connections to bypass the hub router, then routing performance improves with lower latency, but device complexity increases due to additional connection management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of modified routing protocols and metadata that facilitate automatic discovery and establishment of direct peering connections between spoke routers. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of connection management, allowing spoke routers to automatically negotiate and maintain direct connections without requiring complex manual configuration or centralized coordination for each connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables spoke routers to autonomously discover available direct paths to other spoke routers and independently establish peering connections when beneficial. Each spoke router performs self-assessment of routing options and automatically initiates direct connections without requiring hub router intervention, thereby reducing the computational burden on the hub while maintaining simplified overall network management.
3Ease of operation
If the hub router handles all routing decisions for spoke routers, then network management is centralized and simplified, but the computational demands and network resource consumption on the hub router increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables spoke routers to independently make routing decisions for traffic destined for other spoke routers by discovering direct paths and establishing peering connections autonomously. This self-service capability distributes the computational workload from the hub router to the spoke routers themselves, reducing the hub's processing demands while maintaining centralized management for overall network coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary discovery mechanisms where spoke routers proactively identify and establish direct peering connections before traffic needs to flow between them. By performing this connection setup work in advance, the system reduces real-time routing computation requirements on the hub router, as direct paths are pre-established and can be used immediately when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for forming on-demand mesh connections between spoke routers of a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) arranged in a hub-and-spoke topology. A first spoke router modifies the first packet to include metadata specifying first reachability information and first Internet Protocol (IP) address information for the first spoke router. The first spoke router forwards the first packet to a hub router for forwarding to a second spoke router. The first spoke router receives a second packet from the hub router that includes metadata specifying second reachability information and second IP address information for the second spoke router. In response to determining that the first reachability information is compatible with the second reachability information, the first spoke router initiates a peering connection with the second spoke router along a path which bypasses the hub router for forwarding subsequent packets of the forward packet flow.