Cluster Router Channel Separation for Control Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cluster-based routers face reduced reliability and security due to the transmission of control messages and protocol packets through the same channel, leading to congestion and potential discarding of control plane messages, which affects the overall system performance.

Innovation Solution

Separate control message channels and protocol packet channels are established between the LCC and CFC control ether switch units, allowing for independent transmission and allocation of resources to enhance reliability and security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If control messages and protocol packets are transmitted through the same channel in a cluster-based router, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to congestion and potential discarding of control plane messages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of control message transmissionVSAvoidcomplexity of channel separation structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the transmission channel into two separate channels: a control message channel and a protocol packet channel. This segmentation allows control messages to be transmitted independently from protocol packets, preventing congestion of control plane messages by data plane traffic and ensuring reliable control message delivery even under high traffic loads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts control messages from the mixed traffic channel and creates a dedicated control message channel. This extraction separates the high-priority control plane traffic from the best-effort data plane traffic, ensuring that control messages receive guaranteed bandwidth and priority treatment, thereby improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If control messages and protocol packets share the same transmission channel, then the device complexity is reduced, but security deteriorates due to potential network attacks and packet interception

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity of control message transmissionVSAvoidcomplexity of separate channel architecture
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the transmission channel into separate control message channel and protocol packet channel, isolating control plane traffic from potential attacks on data plane traffic. This segmentation prevents attackers from intercepting or injecting control messages along with protocol packets, thereby improving security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts control messages into a dedicated secure channel, removing them from the vulnerable shared channel where protocol packets traverse. This extraction ensures that control messages are transmitted through a protected path that is less susceptible to network attacks, packet sniffing, and injection attacks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If protocol packet traffic increases sharply due to network attacks, then the bandwidth utilization is improved, but the reliability deteriorates as control plane messages become congested or discarded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth utilization for protocol packetsVSAvoidreliability of control message transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network traffic into separate channels, allowing protocol packets to utilize available bandwidth freely in the data plane channel while control messages maintain their own dedicated channel with guaranteed bandwidth. This prevents control message congestion even when protocol packet traffic increases sharply due to network attacks or normal traffic growth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2961112B1Message forwarding system, method and device
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 ZTE CORP
  • EP2961112B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2961112B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2961112B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Provided are a system, a method and a device for forwarding a packet. The system comprises: an LCC comprising a first LCC's control ether switch unit and a second LCC's control ether switch unit, a first CFC comprising a first CFC's control ether switch unit, and a second CFC comprising a second CFC's control ether switch unit, wherein a control message channel and a protocol packet channel are separately arranged between the first and the second LCC's control ether switch units and the first and the second CFC's control ether switch units. Through the disclosure, the problem that the reliability and security of the cluster-based router may be reduced if the control message and the protocol packet are transmitted in the same channel in the related arts is solved, so as to achieve the effects of forwarding the control message and the protocol packet in a cluster-based router separately and enhancing the reliability and the security of the cluster-based router.