Overlay Virtual Gateway Encapsulation Translation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication technologies in overlay virtual networks (OVNs) face challenges in enabling multiple data plane encapsulations, as NVEs may employ different encapsulation protocols, leading to difficulties in mapping services and translating encapsulation semantics between them.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that receive data packets with a first encapsulation type, determine the egress tunnel endpoint and supported second encapsulation type, perform encapsulation translation, and forward the translated packet, allowing communication across NVEs with different encapsulation types, facilitated by an extended BGP protocol for control signaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If NVEs employ different encapsulation protocols to provide diverse virtual network services, then service versatility and adaptability are improved, but interoperability and ease of operation deteriorate due to difficulties in mapping services and translating encapsulation semantics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between NVEs using different encapsulation protocols. The gateway performs encapsulation translation by receiving packets with a first encapsulation type, translating them to a second encapsulation type, and forwarding them to the destination NVE. This intermediary resolves the interoperability issues while allowing diverse encapsulation protocols to coexist, thus maintaining service versatility without sacrificing ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device changes the encapsulation parameter (protocol type) of data packets dynamically based on the source and destination NVE capabilities. By detecting the encapsulation types supported by communicating NVEs and translating between them, the system adapts packet parameters to ensure compatibility while preserving the ability to use multiple encapsulation protocols for different service requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple data plane encapsulations are supported in an overlay virtual network, then adaptability and service diversity are improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for automatic mapping and translation between different encapsulation protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as a specialized intermediary that集中 handles the complexity of encapsulation translation. Instead of every NVE needing to support and translate between all possible encapsulation protocols, only the gateway requires this capability. This concentrates the complexity in a single component while allowing other NVEs to remain simple, thus managing overall system complexity while supporting multiple encapsulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple encapsulation protocols simultaneously. It can receive packets with different encapsulation types, translate between various protocol formats, and forward to appropriate destinations. This universal capability in a single device reduces the need for complex multi-functional capabilities in every network element, thereby managing complexity while providing encapsulation diversity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method for providing communication over an overlay virtual network (OVN) with multiple data plane encapsulations at a tunnel endpoint comprising receiving a data packet via a first overlay tunnel, wherein the data packet comprises an encapsulation header of a first encapsulation type and an inner destination address, determining an egress tunnel endpoint and a second encapsulation type supported by the egress tunnel end point based on the inner destination address, performing encapsulation translation on the data packet by replacing the encapsulation header of the first encapsulation type with an encapsulation header of the second encapsulation type to form a translated packet, and forwarding the translated packet toward the egress tunnel endpoint via a second overlay tunnel, wherein the first encapsulation type and the second encapsulation type are different encapsulation types, and wherein the data packet is destined to the egress tunnel endpoint.