SDN Control Agent for HFC Network QoS Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks face limitations in managing increased capacity demands for 5G wireless access due to limited intelligence and constraints such as silicon availability and frequency response, leading to issues like packet loss, latency, and bandwidth starvation, which affect quality of service (QoS).
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a Software Defined Network (SDN) control agent within the HFC network to receive notifications of QoS degradation events, accessing local table rules and an SDN controller to redirect traffic through Wi-Fi to a radio access network, leveraging deep fiber densification for efficient traffic management and offloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If HFC networks are used for 5G wireless access, then network coverage and capacity are improved, but QoS degradation occurs due to limited intelligence and constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the centralized SDN controller into distributed SDN control agents deployed at network edges (OLTs, ONTs, CMTS devices). This segmentation allows local intelligence to handle QoS decisions independently, preventing centralized bottlenecks from causing QoS degradation while maintaining overall network capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
SDN control agents act as intermediaries between the HFC network infrastructure and end-user traffic. These agents monitor network conditions locally and make real-time QoS decisions, mediating between the physical network constraints and service requirements to prevent packet loss and latency issues.
2Ease of operation
If centralized SDN control is used, then network management is simplified, but failure reaction time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized SDN controller is segmented into distributed control agents that can independently detect and respond to failures locally. This eliminates the time delay associated with centralized detection and decision-making, as agents can immediately react to network anomalies in their local domains.
Solution Approach 2:
SDN control agents are pre-configured with local policies and decision-making capabilities, allowing them to take preliminary actions immediately upon detecting failures without waiting for centralized controller instructions. This preliminary local response significantly reduces failure reaction time.
3Quantity of substance
If deep fiber densification is implemented, then wireless access capacity is increased, but HFC network intelligence is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments network intelligence into distributed control agents deployed at fiber network edges (OLTs and ONTs). This segmentation preserves HFC network simplicity while adding intelligence where needed, allowing deep fiber densification to increase capacity without requiring complex centralized management.
Solution Approach 2:
SDN control agents enable the HFC network to serve itself by making autonomous QoS decisions locally. This self-service capability adds intelligence to the fiber access network without requiring external centralized control, maintaining operational simplicity while increasing wireless access capacity through deep fiber densification.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for enabling deep fiber access to a software defined network includes a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, a software defined network (SDN) control agent disposed in the HFC network and a core network. The core network includes an IP backbone and an SDN. The SDN control agent receives a notification of a quality of service (QoS) degradation event and the accesses local table rules stored in the SDN control agent to determine whether the local table rules identify an action to implement in response to the notification. When the local table rules identify the control agent action to take in response to the notification implementing the action. When the local table rules do not identify the action to be implemented by the SDN control agent in response to the notification, then the SDN control agent accesses the SDN controller to determine whether the SDN controller can identify a controller action to take in response to the notification.