Policy Based Routing Hash Table Weight Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing policy-based routing (PBR) techniques are insufficient in efficiently redirecting traffic based on source or destination IP addresses and interface port information, often requiring external load balancing devices and lacking effective failover mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A PBR method and apparatus that generates a redirect host table and weight table to create a hash table for random distribution of traffic redirection, allowing for weighted distribution of IP traffic to available redirect hosts, eliminating the need for external load balancing devices and ensuring failover by verifying host availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing PBR techniques are used for traffic redirection, then routing decisions can be made based on destination address, but external load balancing devices are required and failover mechanisms are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the load balancing functionality and failover mechanisms directly into the router's PBR apparatus, merging previously separate functions (routing decisions and load balancing) into a single integrated system. This eliminates the need for external load balancing devices while providing built-in reliability through hash table-based redirect host selection with automatic failover capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The PBR apparatus performs self-service by automatically generating hash tables, selecting available redirect hosts, and handling failover without requiring external load balancing devices. The system monitors redirect host availability and autonomously redirects traffic to available hosts, providing self-contained load balancing and failover functionality.
2Productivity
If traditional routing methods are used, then routing decisions are simple based on destination address, but traffic redirection efficiency based on source/destination IP and port information is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-generating hash tables that contain redirect host information based on source IP addresses, destination IP addresses, and port information. This pre-computation allows the router to efficiently redirect traffic by simply performing hash table lookups rather than complex real-time calculations, improving traffic redirection efficiency while managing complexity through advance preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes routing parameters from simple destination address-based routing to multi-parameter routing that incorporates source IP address, destination IP address, and port information. By using these multiple parameters to generate hash values for table lookups, the system achieves more efficient and granular traffic redirection while the hash table structure manages the complexity of handling multiple parameters.
3Reliability
If redirect hosts are selected without availability verification, then traffic redirection is fast, but traffic backlogs occur when hosts are unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the availability status of redirect hosts and using this information to make routing decisions. The system checks whether selected redirect hosts are available before directing traffic, and if a host is unavailable, it uses the hash table to select an alternative available host. This feedback mechanism prevents traffic backlogs by ensuring traffic is only directed to hosts that can actually process it.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts traffic redirection based on real-time host availability. Rather than using static routing tables, the hash table structure allows the system to dynamically select different redirect hosts based on current availability status. This dynamic approach ensures that traffic is always directed to available hosts, preventing backlogs while maintaining fast redirection through the efficient hash table lookup mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example, a method for policy based routing may include receiving a data packet, and generating a weight table including an index corresponding to a weight based distribution of a plurality of redirect hosts. The method may further include generating a hash table including an index corresponding to a random distribution of the weight based distribution, using an IP address of the data packet to determine a corresponding index value in the hash table index, determining an availability status of a redirect host of the plurality of redirect hosts corresponding to the index value, and routing, by a processor, the data packet to the redirect host if the availability status is determined to be available.