Overlay Network Flow Identifier Policy Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of managing overlay networks in data centers, which requires coordination between network and server administrators, often leads to miscommunication and delays due to the need for dual administration, resulting in inefficiencies and potential tasks being overlooked or performed twice.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines and applies policies to overlay packets using a unique flow identifier stored in the packet header, allowing for centralized management of overlay networks, enabling efficient traffic classification and management by a single administrator, and adhering to OpenFlow standards for software-defined networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If overlay networks use dual administration by network and server administrators, then network virtualization and tunneling capabilities are achieved, but management complexity and coordination overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges network administration and server administration functions into a unified management model. The overlay network management is consolidated under network administrator control, while server administrators focus on server-level operations. This is achieved through centralized overlay network configuration and policy management that both administrators can access and modify without requiring direct coordination for routine tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments administration responsibilities by function rather than requiring both administrators to manage the entire overlay network. Network administrators manage overlay network topology, tunneling parameters, and network-level policies. Server administrators manage server-level configurations and application-level policies. This functional segmentation reduces coordination overhead while maintaining comprehensive control.
2Reliability
If overlay networks require coordination between network and server administrators, then comprehensive policy control is achieved, but task completion time and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring overlay network parameters, tunneling settings, and policy frameworks in advance by network administrators. Server administrators can then apply these pre-established configurations without requiring real-time coordination. Policies are predefined and can be activated or modified independently, reducing task completion time while maintaining policy control accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary management layer that mediates between network and server administrators. This intermediary system handles policy enforcement, configuration synchronization, and coordination automatically, allowing both administrators to work independently while ensuring policy consistency. The intermediary resolves potential conflicts and ensures comprehensive policy control without requiring direct administrator coordination.
3Reliability
If overlay networks use traditional dual administration model, then specialized expertise is utilized, but miscommunication and task duplication occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a unified management interface and policy framework that serves both network and server administrators. The same policy language, configuration format, and management tools are used by both administrator types, eliminating communication barriers and reducing miscommunication. Both administrators work with the same system interface, ensuring consistent understanding of overlay network policies and configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to receive an overlay packet, determine at least one characteristic of the overlay packet and/or inner packets of the overlay packet in order to classify the overlay packet into a classification, associate a flow identifier to the overlay packet, determine one or more policies to associate with the flow identifier, where the one or more policies are based on the at least one characteristic of the overlay packet and/or the inner packets of the overlay packet, and store the flow identifier in a header of the overlay packet, where the flow identifier is a string of characters of a predetermined length, the flow identifier being unique from all other flow identifiers in a particular overlay network and associated with an identified flow of the overlay packet.