Software-Defined Network Controller Using Implicit Relation Derivation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software-defined networks face challenges in configuring and updating network elements to handle complex scenarios and manage qualities like logical grouping, access control, and sequence of packets effectively, as existing Internet Protocol-based networks are inflexible and do not allow designated destinations to change without altering their identity.
Innovation Solution
A method and controller device that derive implicit relations and action rules from relation data items and action policy rules, using XML and RDF data models, to generate configuration data for network elements, enabling automated handling of various circumstances and resolving conflicts between action policy rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional IP-based Autonomous Systems are used, then networks can scale and extend with simple hop-by-hop forwarding, but the system lacks flexibility to change destination identities or specify complex qualities like logical grouping, access control, and quality of service
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network control into two independent parts: a global controller that manages configuration centrally and network elements that execute forwarding decisions locally. This segmentation allows the complex configuration management to be centralized while keeping individual network elements simple, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary configuration management system that acts as a mediator between the global controller and network elements. This intermediary handles the complex tasks of deriving implicit relations, generating configuration data, and pushing updates to network elements, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling flexible destination management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If network elements are configured with detailed policies for each scenario, then quality of service and access control can be specified, but the configuration process becomes complex and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the global controller pre-derive implicit relations and pre-generate configuration data before deploying it to network elements. The system proactively creates the necessary configuration structures and pushes them to network elements, eliminating the need for manual configuration of complex scenarios and significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration management system performs self-service by automatically deriving implicit relations from high-level policies and generating appropriate configuration data without requiring manual intervention. The system self-manages the complex configuration process, transforming high-level quality of service requirements into concrete network element configurations autonomously.
3Extent of automation
If the system aggregates all letters from all tenants at edge network elements for global lookup, then centralized control and global considerations can be applied, but the configuration and update process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex configuration management functions from individual network elements and concentrates them in a separate global controller. The global controller handles all aggregation, global lookup, and policy application tasks, while network elements only perform simple forwarding based on received configuration data. This extraction significantly reduces the complexity at each individual network element while maintaining centralized control.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for configuring network elements of a software-defined network on the basis of relation data items and action policy rules is presented. Each relation data item expresses two entities and their relationship and each action policy rule expresses an event and an action to be carried out in response to the event. The method comprises deriving (301) implicit relations between the entities on the basis of the relation data items and generating (303) the configuration data for the network elements on the basis of the relation data items, the action policy rules, and the derived implicit relations. The derivation of the implicit relations and the utilization of the derived implicit relations for generating the configuration data facilitate providing automated operation.