Relay Flow Table Control for Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional OpenFlow relay devices face inefficiencies in network utilization due to static bandwidth allocation methods, leading to deviations between required and actual bandwidth usage, and lack of flow-level band control, especially in large-scale networks, resulting in suboptimal network performance.
Innovation Solution
A relay device with reception, relay, and transmission processing units that utilize flow tables to dynamically manage bandwidth by comparing search keys with received frames, performing port selection, and transmitting frames based on determined processing, enabling dynamic band control at the flow level.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If static bandwidth allocation based on maximum bandwidth values from service manuals is used, then device configuration is simple, but network utilization efficiency deteriorates due to deviation between allocated and actual bandwidth needs
Solution Approach 1:
The relay device monitors actual bandwidth usage of flows and feeds this information back to dynamically adjust bandwidth allocation. The control plane receives bandwidth usage information from the data plane and modifies flow table entries accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to actual network conditions rather than relying on static manual configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static bandwidth allocation to dynamic allocation where bandwidth values are continuously adjusted based on real-time monitoring of actual usage patterns. Flow bandwidth limits are not fixed but adapt automatically as network conditions and user demands change, optimizing utilization without requiring manual reconfiguration.
2Ease of operation
If bandwidth control is performed in units of terminals rather than flows, then control is simpler to implement, but flow-level band control becomes impossible leading to suboptimal network performance
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments bandwidth control from terminal-level to flow-level granularity. Instead of applying a single bandwidth limit to all traffic from a terminal, the control plane creates separate flow table entries for different applications and services, allowing independent bandwidth management for each flow while maintaining simple terminal connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control plane acts as an intermediary between terminal devices and the data plane, translating simple terminal connections into multiple controlled flows. It intercepts traffic, identifies flow characteristics, and applies appropriate bandwidth policies without requiring changes to terminal devices or complex user configuration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If OpenFlow architecture with separated control plane and data plane is adopted, then flexibility in responding to processing load and failures is improved, but device complexity increases compared to integral functional configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control plane and data plane into a single integrated relay device. The control plane functionality is implemented as software modules within the relay device itself, allowing dynamic bandwidth control without requiring separate external controllers. This reduces system complexity while maintaining the adaptive benefits of separated architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A relay device includes ports and relays a frame. The communication system includes the relay device. The relay device includes: a reception processing unit that compares a field included in the frame received at one of the ports with a search key of a flow table including an entry in which processing to be executed in a case of being applicable to the search key is set, and determines processing to be executed on the received frame and a port of a transfer destination; a relay processing unit that performs port selection processing such that the frame is transmitted from the determined port and transfers, when the frame is duplicated as the processing to be executed by the reception processing unit, the duplicated frame to a transfer destination determined by the reception processing unit; and a transmission processing unit that transmits the frame from the determined port.