Routing Logic Failover for Network Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network protocols, such as Spanning Tree Protocol, take significant time to re-converge after a topology change, leading to disruptive packet loss and service failures in applications with strict Quality of Service constraints, like VoIP, during link failures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with routing logic that determines and switches to an alternate port configuration upon detecting a link failure, using protocols like Multiple Spanning Tree and IS-IS to calculate failover topologies and distribute alternate configurations across the network, allowing for rapid adaptation and minimizing packet loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional Spanning Tree Protocol is used to determine network routes, then network stability is maintained by blocking certain links to prevent looping, but reconvergence time becomes excessively long (seconds) when link failures occur, causing packet loss and service disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores multiple alternate spanning tree configurations before failures occur. When a link failure is detected, the system immediately switches to a pre-computed alternate configuration rather than recalculating from scratch, dramatically reducing reconvergence time while maintaining network stability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different spanning tree configurations based on real-time network conditions. Multiple port configurations are maintained in memory, and the system can rapidly transition between them as network topology changes, enabling fast failover while preserving the loop-prevention properties of spanning tree protocol
2Reliability
If traditional spanning tree protocol blocks certain links to prevent network storms, then packet loss occurs during reconvergence when topology changes, but applications with strict Quality of Service constraints like VoIP fail
Solution Approach 1:
Alternate port configurations are pre-calculated and stored before failures occur. When a link failure happens, the system activates a pre-prepared configuration that immediately provides alternative paths for traffic, preventing service disruption for QoS-sensitive applications like VoIP while maintaining loop prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares backup spanning tree configurations in advance as a cushion against potential failures. These pre-computed alternate configurations act as a safety buffer that can be instantly deployed to prevent service disruption, cushioning the impact of link failures on QoS-critical applications
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, there is disclosed an apparatus comprising a plurality of ports and routing logic coupled with the plurality of ports. The routing logic obtains data representative of a first port configuration for the plurality of ports, the first port configuration comprises data representative of a status for individual ports selected from the plurality of ports, the status indicating whether an individual port selected from the plurality of ports is an open port, an alternate port, or a failed port. The routing logic forwards data in accordance with the first port configuration. The routing logic also obtains data representative of an alternate port configuration for the plurality of ports, the alternate port configuration is to be employed upon determining a predefined link has failed. The alternate configuration comprising a new status for individual ports selected from the plurality of ports.