SDN Broadcast Flooding Reduction via Virtual Switch Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
In software defined networks, especially in cloud computing environments, the large number of nodes leads to network broadcast storms due to the need for broadcast packets to be sent to all tunnels, causing heavy network load and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that receive a network broadcast request, acquire the destination address, read a predefined mapping rule to derive a second destination address, and respond using this address, thereby reducing the need for broadcast packets to be sent across the entire network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If broadcast packets are sent to all tunnels in a software defined network with a large number of nodes, then all nodes can receive the broadcast information, but network load increases significantly leading to network broadcast storm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into multiple virtual switches and groups of virtual machines. Instead of flooding broadcast packets to all tunnels across the entire network, the broadcast packets are segmented and forwarded only to specific virtual switches that manage relevant groups of virtual machines. This segmentation reduces the scope of broadcast propagation while ensuring that all necessary nodes still receive the broadcast information, thereby reducing network load without compromising delivery completeness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If one tunnel is maintained between every two nodes in a cloud computing environment, then direct communication between any nodes is enabled, but the number of tunnels increases quadratically causing heavy network load during broadcast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces virtual switches as intermediary devices between virtual machines. Instead of maintaining direct tunnels between every pair of virtual machines (N*(N-1)/2 tunnels), virtual switches act as mediators that consolidate connections. Multiple virtual machines can be grouped under a single virtual switch, reducing the total number of tunnels required while maintaining the ability for any node to communicate with any other node through the intermediary virtual switches.
3Loss of information
If broadcast packets are flooded to all nodes in the network, then all nodes receive the broadcast information, but network efficiency decreases due to heavy network load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making broadcast forwarding decisions at each virtual switch based on local configuration and destination address information. Each virtual switch is configured with mapping rules that define which groups of virtual machines it manages. When a broadcast packet arrives, the virtual switch locally determines which outgoing tunnels should receive the packet based on the destination address and its configuration, rather than uniformly flooding to all tunnels. This localized decision-making reduces unnecessary broadcast propagation while ensuring information reaches all relevant nodes, thereby improving network efficiency without compromising information delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism is provided for reducing network load in a software defined network. The mechanism is executed by a virtual machine hypervisor. The mechanism receives a network broadcast request sent by a source virtual machine node; acquires a first destination address in the network broadcast request; and reads a predefined mapping rule of the first destination address and a second destination address. An address of a node in the software defined network is configured by using the predefined mapping rule. The mechanism derives the second destination address corresponding to the first destination address according to the mapping rule. The mechanism responds to the network broadcast request by using the derived second destination address.