Remote Port Mirroring VLAN Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional remote port mirroring techniques in computer networking fail to preserve original VLAN identifiers, which can hinder the identification and resolution of network problems, as they modify the VLAN identifiers during packet copying and forwarding.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that encapsulates a copy of a packet within another packet using a TRILL header, preserving the original VLAN identifier and other header information, allowing for accurate analysis and debugging by forwarding the encapsulated packet to a network analyzer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional remote port mirroring techniques modify VLAN identifiers during packet copying, then packet forwarding can be simplified, but original VLAN identifier information is lost which hinders network problem identification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent encapsulates the original packet (containing the VLAN identifier) inside a new outer packet structure. The inner packet preserves the original VLAN tag while the outer packet provides new forwarding information. This nesting allows both the original information to be retained and new forwarding capabilities to be added simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an outer packet structure as an intermediary between the original packet and the network analyzer. This outer packet acts as a mediator that carries the inner packet while providing its own header information for forwarding purposes, thus preserving the original VLAN identifier while enabling simplified forwarding to the analyzer.
2Measurement precision
If original packet header information is preserved during mirroring, then network debugging accuracy is improved, but packet structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the original packet within an outer packet structure, the patent preserves all original header information (including VLAN identifiers) while adding only the necessary outer header fields. This approach maintains analysis accuracy without requiring complete restructuring of the packet format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the packet into distinct inner and outer portions, where the inner packet contains the original information and the outer packet contains the new forwarding information. This segmentation allows each part to serve its specific function independently, reducing overall complexity compared to modifying the entire packet structure.
3Productivity
If VLAN identifiers are modified in mirrored packets, then forwarding to network analyzer is simplified, but network problem identification capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The nested packet structure allows the inner packet to preserve original VLAN identifiers for reliable network debugging, while the outer packet provides simplified forwarding paths to the network analyzer. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining both debugging reliability and forwarding efficiency simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the original packet and places it within the outer packet structure. This copying preserves the original VLAN identifier information intact while allowing the outer packet to be optimized for efficient forwarding to the analyzer, thus maintaining both reliability and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A switch that facilitates remote port mirroring is described. The switch can include an encapsulation mechanism and a forwarding mechanism. The encapsulation mechanism can be configured to encapsulate a copy of a first packet in a second packet, thereby preserving header information (e.g., a VLAN identifier and/or a TRILL header) of the first packet. The forwarding mechanism can be configured to forward the first packet using header information of the first packet, and forward the second packet using header information of the second packet. The second packet can be received at a destination switch which extracts the first packet from the second packet, and sends the first packet on a port which is coupled to a network analyzer.