Router ECN Marking Using SLA Thresholds to Prevent Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing congestion notification techniques, such as ECNs, are limited in their applicability beyond the scenarios defined in RFC 8257, and they do not effectively address network traffic congestion in diverse communication network environments, leading to issues like SLA forwarding ping-pong and inefficient resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing congestion notifications based on service level agreement (SLA) thresholds, where routers proactively mark ECN bits when performance measurements exceed defined proportions of SLA thresholds, allowing data sources to adjust transmission rates to prevent congestion and stabilize network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If congestion notifications are sent only when congestion is detected (reactive approach), then the system follows standard ECN protocols, but congestion cannot be prevented and causes packet drops and SLA forwarding ping-pong
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by sending congestion notifications before actual congestion occurs. Routers monitor network traffic and send ECN markings when traffic approaches congestion thresholds, allowing data sources to proactively reduce transmission rates before packet drops occur. This prevents the SLA forwarding ping-pong effect and improves congestion control reliability.
2Productivity
If congestion notifications are sent proactively based on SLA thresholds, then packet drops are prevented and network efficiency is improved, but the system complexity increases due to SLA policy configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing configurable SLA thresholds that define when congestion notifications should be sent. Different SLA policies can be configured with specific performance thresholds (e.g., loss rate, latency) that trigger ECN markings. This allows network operators to optimize network efficiency for different service requirements while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized policy configurations.
3Ease of operation
If ECN bits are marked based on queue thresholds, then congestion detection is simple, but the notification is too late to prevent packet drops and SLA forwarding ping-pong
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the simplicity of queue threshold monitoring with preliminary action by configuring the threshold to trigger notifications before the queue becomes fully congested. This early warning approach maintains operational simplicity while preventing packet drops and SLA forwarding ping-pong by giving data sources advance notice to reduce transmission rates.
4Adaptability or versatility
If congestion control is extended to diverse network scenarios beyond data centers, then applicability is improved, but the existing ECN mechanisms become insufficient and require enhancements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing an enhanced ECN mechanism that works across diverse network scenarios including data centers, wide area networks, and service provider networks. The solution uses standardized ECN markings with configurable SLA thresholds that can be adapted to different network types and service requirements, making the congestion control mechanism universally applicable without requiring scenario-specific implementations.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques described herein can enable proactive congestion notifications based on service level agreement (SLA) thresholds. The disclosed techniques can be performed at a network router device. The router can monitor network traffic performance measurements of network traffic associated with an SLA. The SLA can be associated with an SLA policy, and the SLA policy can comprise performance thresholds such as loss/latency/jitter thresholds, and a congestion notification policy. The congestion notification policy can comprise a portion, e.g., a fraction or percentage, applicable to the performance thresholds to determine congestion notification thresholds. The router can send a congestion notification in response to a network traffic performance measurement exceeding a congestion notification threshold.