Packet Forwarding With Session Identifiers After Address Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In networks with load balancing functions, session persistence and load balancing based on the source address become invalid due to address translation, leading to issues like traffic interruption and load imbalance.
Innovation Solution
Implement session persistence and load balancing using a session identifier in packets, which can be a source address or an application-aware identifier, ensuring consistent identification across sessions and nodes, even after address translation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If source address translation is performed for load balancing and session persistence, then network address management is improved, but session persistence and load balancing become invalid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a session identifier as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between address translation and session persistence. The session identifier is extracted from the original packet, stored in a session table alongside the translated address, and used to retrieve the correct serving node for subsequent packets. This mediator allows the system to maintain session persistence even when source addresses are translated and cannot directly identify the original session.
2Adaptability or versatility
If source address translation is performed for load balancing, then address allocation flexibility is improved, but load balancing effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The session identifier acts as a mediator that preserves load balancing effectiveness despite address translation. When a packet arrives with a translated source address, the system uses the session identifier (extracted from the translated address or packet metadata) to query the session table and retrieve the original serving node assignment. This ensures that load balancing decisions made during address translation remain effective for the entire session.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by creating a session table entry at the moment of address translation, storing the mapping between the session identifier and the selected serving node. This pre-established mapping ensures that subsequent packets in the same session can be quickly routed to the correct node without requiring real-time load balancing calculations, maintaining both address allocation flexibility and load balancing effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
This application discloses a packet forwarding method, an apparatus, and a system, and belongs to the field of communication technologies. The method includes: A first node receives a first packet. The first node sends a second packet to a second node based on the first packet, where a source address of the second packet is obtained by translating a source address of the first packet, a destination address of the second packet is a destination address of the first packet, a packet payload of the second packet is a packet payload of the first packet, the second packet further includes a session identifier, and the session identifier is used by the second node to forward the second packet.