Packet Flow Improver for Virtualized Server Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cloud computing environments, virtualized server racks face challenges in optimizing packet flow due to independent operating systems on hardware components from different vendors, leading to inefficient network resource management and limited bandwidth utilization, especially in North-South packet flows.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a packet flow improver that generates an ESG load balance list based on monitoring information from virtualized network resources, adjusting routing policies to distribute packet flows across multiple available ESGs, thereby enabling equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing in Layer 2 network fabrics without requiring specialized hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If packet flow is distributed across multiple ESGs using ECMP routing, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but device complexity increases due to routing policy management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a border gateway protocol (BGP) speaker as an intermediary component that automatically generates and manages ECMP routing policies. This intermediary handles the complexity of routing policy distribution to multiple edge services gateways (ESGs), enabling bandwidth aggregation without requiring manual configuration or complex policy management at the network core.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service through automated BGP route advertisement and ECMP policy generation. The BGP speaker automatically discovers available ESGs, generates appropriate routing policies, and distributes them across the network fabric without external intervention. This automation eliminates manual routing policy management while maintaining optimal bandwidth utilization.
2Ease of manufacture
If Layer 2 network fabric is used for packet flow, then hardware requirements are reduced, but bandwidth efficiency deteriorates due to single-path limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the traditional Layer 2 network fabric by introducing multi-path routing capabilities through BGP-based ECMP policies. This adds a routing dimension to the existing Layer 2 switching fabric, allowing packets to traverse multiple parallel paths through the network without requiring additional hardware infrastructure. The solution maintains Layer 2 simplicity while achieving Layer 3 bandwidth aggregation.
3Productivity
If multiple ESGs are deployed for load balancing, then network capacity is improved, but system complexity increases due to independent OS management
Solution Approach 1:
The BGP speaker implements multi-functionality by simultaneously performing route advertisement, ECMP policy generation, and automated distribution across multiple ESGs with different operating systems. This universal component handles heterogeneous ESG environments uniformly, managing load balancing across diverse hardware and software platforms without requiring platform-specific configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to improve packet flow among virtualized servers are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory, and hardware to execute instructions to generate a load balance list identifying first ones of virtualized network resources having respective values of a utilization status parameter that satisfy a first threshold, in response to at least a number of the first virtualized network resources not satisfying a load balance list threshold, update the load balance list to additionally identify second ones of the virtualized network resources, the second ones of the virtualized network resources having respective values of the utilization status parameter that satisfy a second threshold, the first threshold different from the second threshold, and adjust a policy of a physical hardware resource corresponding to one or more of the virtualized network resources based on the load balance list.