Per-Virtual-Network Packet Flooding for Switch Resource Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network virtualization methods are inefficient in managing bandwidth and resources, particularly when flooding packets, as they often require extensive network resource consumption and lack effective separation of traffic from different virtual networks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that floods packets on a per-virtual-network basis by determining an internal virtual network identifier from packet fields and using this identifier to selectively flood packets over egress ports associated with the relevant virtual network, reducing resource usage and maintaining traffic separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a switch floods a packet when forwarding lookup fails, then the packet can reach its destination, but network resources are consumed excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flooding process by virtual network identifier, creating separate flooding domains for each virtual network. When a forwarding lookup fails, the switch floods packets only within the specific virtual network segment rather than across the entire network, reducing resource consumption while maintaining delivery reliability within each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making flooding behavior dependent on the specific virtual network context. Each virtual network has its own flooding characteristics and scope, allowing the system to optimize resource usage locally for each virtual network while maintaining overall network reliability.
2Reliability
If packets are flooded across the entire network, then all possible destinations receive the packet, but traffic from different virtual networks becomes mixed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into isolated virtual network domains using virtual network identifiers. Each virtual network maintains separate flooding boundaries, ensuring that packets from one virtual network do not mix with traffic from other virtual networks while still achieving complete delivery within each segmented domain.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual network identifier acts as an intermediary that mediates between the packet and the flooding process. The identifier determines which egress ports should receive the packet, enabling selective flooding that maintains virtual network separation while ensuring complete delivery within the appropriate virtual network boundary.
3Productivity
If the system determines egress ports based on internal virtual network identifier, then flooding efficiency improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing mappings between virtual network identifiers and egress ports. When a forwarding lookup fails, the switch can quickly determine the appropriate egress ports using the pre-computed mappings, improving flooding efficiency without requiring complex real-time calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating an internal virtual network identifier that mirrors the essential information needed for flooding decisions. This internal identifier serves as a simplified copy that enables efficient port determination without requiring the system to process the full complexity of virtual network configurations in real-time.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and techniques for flooding packets on a per-virtual-network basis are described. Some embodiments provide a method (e.g., a switch) which determines an internal virtual network identifier based on one or more fields in a packet's header. Next, the method performs a forwarding lookup operation based on the internal virtual network identifier. If the forwarding lookup operation succeeds, the method can process and forward the packet accordingly. However, if the forwarding lookup operation fails, the method can determine a set of egress ports based on the internal virtual network identifier. Next, for each egress port in the set of egress ports, the method can flood the packet if a virtual network identifier in the packet's header is associated with the egress port. Flooding packets on a per-virtual-network basis can substantially reduce the amount of resources required to flood the packet when a forwarding lookup operation fails.