Pinhole Offload for Virtual Service Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
In networks utilizing virtual service modules, inefficient processing of packets across multiple virtual service modules can lead to system inefficiencies or failures, as each VSM makes independent pinhole offload decisions without considering other VSMs, resulting in suboptimal performance.
Innovation Solution
Creating a pinhole that represents a group of VSMs or a connection class, which can be offloaded from a service processor to an acceleration processor, allowing for improved packet processing efficiency by normalizing and grouping individual pinhole tuples and defining high-level actions for connection class sessions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If each virtual service module makes independent pinhole offload decisions, then each VSM can process packets autonomously, but system-wide packet processing efficiency deteriorates due to lack of coordination across multiple VSMs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges independent pinhole offload decisions from multiple virtual service modules into a unified pinhole representation that spans multiple VSMs. This consolidation allows coordinated packet routing across the virtual rack while preserving individual VSM autonomy, resolving the contradiction between independent operation and system-wide efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal pinhole structure that can represent multiple VSMs simultaneously, enabling a single pinhole to serve multiple service modules. This multi-functional approach allows packets to be routed efficiently across different VSMs without requiring separate independent decisions for each module.
2Productivity
If packets are processed by different service processors without coordination, then load distribution across processors is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to inability to maintain session state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coordinating mechanism that acts as an intermediary between multiple service processors. This mediator ensures that packets belonging to the same session are routed to the appropriate processor that maintains the session state, while still allowing load distribution across different processors for unrelated sessions.
3Measurement precision
If multiple individual pinhole tuples are maintained for each VSM, then precise packet routing to specific VSMs is achieved, but device complexity increases due to managing numerous pinhole entries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual pinhole tuples from different VSMs into a single unified pinhole entry that represents the group of VSMs. This merging reduces the number of pinhole entries that need to be managed while maintaining the ability to precisely route packets to the appropriate VSM through the grouped representation.
Data Source
AI summary
In a communications network, a virtual rack having service modules for performing network services is provided. A pinhole that corresponds to a plurality of the service modules is created. Data packets are directed to a service processor in response to matching the data packets to the pinhole. For connection class offload, using the acceleration processor to match the connection class pinhole to the data packets and creating connection class sessions that are used for processing subsequent packets of the connection.