Peer Backup Recovery Keys for Network Device Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network configuration and management systems require centralized control, leading to significant downtime and manual intervention when replacing failed network devices, as they lack efficient peer-to-peer backup and recovery mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Network devices within an administrative domain periodically save critical operational data to layer-2 adjacent peers, enabling a trusted and secure peer-to-peer backup system that allows for automatic configuration of replacement devices without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If centralized configuration backup systems are used, then configuration management is centralized and controlled, but device replacement requires extensive manual intervention and results in significant downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having network devices automatically backup their configuration data to peer devices before failures occur. The backup agent continuously monitors configuration changes and proactively replicates them to adjacent peer devices, ensuring restoration-ready copies are already in place when failures happen, thereby eliminating manual intervention and reducing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by enabling replacement devices to automatically retrieve and restore configuration data from peer devices without manual intervention. The backup agent on replacement devices autonomously detects available peer devices with valid backups, initiates data retrieval, and restores configurations, making the entire replacement process self-service oriented.
2Reliability
If centralized backup systems are used, then configuration control is maintained, but connectivity back to the configuration system may not be available during catastrophic outages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized backup architecture into distributed peer-to-peer backup units. Instead of relying on a single centralized configuration server, each network device maintains backup relationships with adjacent peer devices, creating multiple independent backup segments throughout the network. This segmentation ensures that configuration availability is maintained even when the central system is unreachable during catastrophic outages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces peer devices as intermediaries for configuration backup and restoration. Rather than direct communication between replacement devices and the centralized configuration system, peer devices act as intermediate storage nodes that hold and transfer configuration data, enabling restoration operations to proceed through local intermediaries when central system connectivity is lost.
3Productivity
If manual configuration restoration is required, then security control is maintained, but the replacement process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling replacement devices to automatically perform configuration restoration without manual intervention. The backup agent on replacement devices autonomously discovers peer devices with valid backups, retrieves configuration data, and applies restorations, transforming a previously manual labor-intensive process into an automated self-service operation that dramatically improves productivity and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies copying by creating and maintaining duplicate configuration data copies on peer devices. Instead of requiring manual recreation of configurations, the system automatically copies configuration data from active devices to peer devices and back to replacement devices, enabling rapid restoration through automated data copying rather than manual configuration entry.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for peer-to-peer backup in an administrative domain are described. The techniques may include identifying, by a first device, a second device as a trusted peer device. The techniques may also include receiving an advertisement that the second device supports a peer-to-peer backup system and transmitting an acknowledgement to the second device that the first device supports the peer-to-peer backup system. Additionally, techniques may include receiving a request to store backup data associated with the second device on the first device, the request may include an amount of memory needed. If the first device has the needed memory, the first device may transmit an indication that the memory is available. The indication may include a recovery key. The first device may then receive backup data associated with the second device, encrypted with the recovery key, and store the encrypted backup data in memory reserved for peer-to-peer backup data.