Router Synchronization via Link Cost Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network systems face issues with primary routers resuming their duties after failure, leading to broken stream-based sessions due to incomplete NAT synchronization, as they start advertising routing information before synchronization is complete, causing neighboring devices to favor backup routers.
Innovation Solution
A method where the primary router initially advertises itself with a high link cost to discourage favorability, receives synchronization data, and only re-advertises with a low link cost once synchronized, ensuring uninterrupted data streams and allowing the primary router to perform other duties during synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the primary router begins advertising its routing information immediately after becoming active, then the primary router can perform its routing duties and neighboring devices can route traffic through it, but NAT synchronization may be incomplete causing broken stream-based sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary NAT data synchronization from the backup router to the primary router before the primary router begins advertising its routing information. This preliminary action ensures that the primary router has up-to-date NAT data before it starts handling traffic, preventing session breaks while allowing the router to become operational.
2Reliability
If a static delay is configured before the primary router advertises itself, then NAT synchronization can complete, but the primary router cannot perform other tasks during the delay and neighboring devices may not recognize it as active
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the NAT synchronization process from the router's main operational timeline by having the backup router actively push synchronization data to the primary router. This allows the primary router to become immediately active and perform other tasks while the synchronization data is transferred separately, eliminating the need for the router to remain idle during synchronization.
3Reliability
If the primary router synchronizes NAT data from the backup router before re-activating, then session continuity is maintained, but the synchronization process takes time and delays full operational capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuity of useful action by allowing the primary router to become active and continue performing routing functions without interruption. The NAT synchronization occurs in the background through active pushing from the backup router, ensuring that the primary router remains operational throughout the synchronization process rather than being taken offline.
Data Source
AI summary
Example systems and methods associated with router synchronization are described. One example method includes reducing a likelihood that a first network device will be favored over a peer device as a router. This likelihood may be increased after the first network device has received a threshold amount of routing information from the peer device. This may allow the first network device to begin performing non-routing related tasks after it starts up without causing interruption of data streams for which the first network device does not have current routing information.