Packet Recirculation for Double Tunnel Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network devices face challenges in routing packets across networks that support different protocols, as they often lack direct connections or endpoint addresses for specific tunneling protocols, leading to difficulties in establishing communication paths between hosts using varying tunneling technologies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where network devices perform double encapsulation of packets, using techniques like VXLAN over GRE, to traverse networks by encapsulating packets in one tunnel and then further encapsulating them in another, allowing data to be sent through intermediate switches that may not recognize the endpoint addresses of the target tunnel, thereby establishing communication paths across different tunneling protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If packets are encapsulated in a single tunnel, then the packet can be transmitted through networks supporting that protocol, but the packet cannot be routed through intermediate networks that support different protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements double encapsulation where the original packet is first encapsulated in a first tunneling protocol (e.g., VXLAN) and then the resulting encapsulated packet is further encapsulated in a second tunneling protocol (e.g., GRE). This nested structure allows the packet to traverse multiple network segments with different protocol requirements, with each encapsulation layer handling a different protocol domain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate tunneling mechanism where a first tunnel (e.g., VXLAN) serves as an intermediary to transport packets between endpoints that cannot directly communicate using a second tunneling protocol (e.g., GRE). The intermediate network devices can process and forward packets through the first tunnel even if they cannot natively support the second tunneling protocol.
2Ease of operation
If intermediate network devices are used to route packets, then packets can traverse networks without direct connections, but intermediate devices must recognize endpoint addresses of the target tunnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the routing process into two distinct stages: first, routing through the initial tunnel (e.g., VXLAN) to an intermediate endpoint, and second, routing through the target tunnel (e.g., GRE) from that intermediate endpoint. This segmentation allows intermediate network devices to only need recognition of the first tunnel's protocol and addressing, not the second tunnel's protocol, thereby reducing the protocol recognition requirements for intermediate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the first tunnel as an intermediary transport mechanism that bridges the gap between the source and the second tunnel's endpoint. Intermediate network devices along the first tunnel's path only need to understand the first tunneling protocol, while the second tunneling protocol is handled by endpoint devices that have full protocol awareness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If double encapsulation is implemented, then packets can traverse networks with different protocol support, but the packet processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the first encapsulation (e.g., VXLAN) as a preliminary action at the source endpoint before the packet enters the intermediate network. This preliminary encapsulation prepares the packet for transport through the intermediate network using a protocol that intermediate devices can handle, thereby simplifying the forwarding pipeline requirements for intermediate devices compared to requiring them to handle the final destination protocol.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for operating a network device for multiple packet encapsulation for different tunnels are provided. In some embodiments, the network device may receive an original packet on an ingress port, the original packet being received from a first host and addressed to a second host; encapsulate the original packet in a first tunnel packet for a first tunnel; recirculate the first packet through a loopback port; encapsulate the recirculated packet in a second tunnel packet for a second tunnel; and egress the packet encapsulated for the second tunnel. The switch may further add a first tunnel header to the original packet to encapsulate the first packet and add a second tunnel header to the recirculated packet to encapsulate the recirculated packet.