Routing Table Manager for Network Switches

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network systems face disruptions and performance issues when updating routing tables due to device failures or recoveries, as they recalculate and reload all tables, impacting network performance and stability.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a dual-mode routing table manager that calculates and loads routing tables in offline mode for initialization and recalculates only affected tables in online mode, minimizing disruption and optimizing performance by distributing the load across multiple loaders.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all routing tables are recalculated and loaded into all switches when a device failure or recovery occurs, then the routing tables are updated to reflect the current network topology, but network disruption increases and performance decreases during the update process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting table accuracyVSAvoidnetwork performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the routing table update process by dividing switches into multiple groups and using multiple loaders to update different groups simultaneously. This allows partial updates without requiring all switches to be updated at once, reducing network disruption while maintaining routing accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary evaluation of routing table effectiveness before loading them into switches. The routing table manager calculates and validates new routing tables in advance, ensuring they are effective before deployment, which maintains reliability while minimizing disruption through careful planning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If all routing tables are recalculated and loaded into all switches when a device failure or recovery occurs, then the routing tables are updated to reflect the current network topology, but the time required for recalculation and loading increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting table accuracyVSAvoidrecalculation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the routing table update process into segments handled by multiple loaders operating in parallel. Each loader updates a specific group of switches simultaneously, reducing the total time required compared to sequential updates of all switches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial updates by identifying and updating only the routing tables that are actually affected by a device failure or recovery, rather than recalculating and loading all routing tables. This reduces recalculation time while maintaining necessary routing accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Productivity

If multiple loaders are used to distribute routing tables to different groups of switches, then the update process is faster and network disruption is minimized, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate speedVSAvoidsystem architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal routing table manager that coordinates multiple loaders and handles both calculation and evaluation of routing tables. This multi-functional manager simplifies the overall system architecture by providing centralized control despite the distributed nature of multiple loaders.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Productivity

If routing tables are evaluated for effectiveness before loading into switches, then the quality and performance of the network is maximized, but the recalculation process becomes more complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork performanceVSAvoidsoftware architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary evaluation of routing table effectiveness before loading them into switches. The routing table manager validates the calculated routing tables to ensure they will improve network performance, preventing poor routing configurations from being deployed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the routing table manager evaluates the effectiveness of calculated routing tables and uses this information to determine whether to load them into switches. This feedback loop ensures only effective routing tables are deployed, maximizing network performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11044189B2Network of equipment interconnected by switches incorporating routing tables

Publication Date: 2021.06.22 THE FRENCH ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES & ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

AI summary

The invention relates to a network of equipment interconnected by switches incorporating routing tables, comprising a routing table manager implementing two modes of operation, an off-line mode of operation in which all the routing tables are calculated initially, then loaded subsequently into the switches, at least when booting up the network, an on-line mode of operation in which, in case of an event rendering an element of the network not usable or operational, only the routing tables impacted by said event are recomputed and loaded into the switches, said routing tables being recomputed by a computer of the routing table manager, said recomputed routing tables being loaded by several loaders of routing tables of the routing table manager into their groups of respective switches.