SDN Controller In-Band Traffic Translation Table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face challenges in performance, latency, reliability, scalability, and traffic isolation due to their dynamic and complex network environments, particularly in managing in-band communications across virtual network segments.
Innovation Solution
A software-defined networking controller establishes a translation table for in-band traffic in data center networks, using virtual network identifiers (VNIDs) to resolve ambiguous network addresses and manage packet routing through virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) devices, ensuring traffic isolation and endpoint migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a translation table is established to resolve ambiguous network addresses using VNIDs, then traffic isolation between network segments is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a translation table as an intermediary data structure that mediates between ambiguous network addresses and unique endpoint identifiers. The translation table stores mappings between VNID-address pairs and resolved endpoint addresses, allowing the controller to resolve address ambiguities without increasing operational complexity during packet forwarding. This intermediary structure enables reliable traffic isolation by ensuring unique address resolution while keeping the control plane complexity manageable through efficient data structures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If virtual routing and forwarding devices are used to route packets, then scalability of the network is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the routing function into virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instances, where each VRF device handles a specific network segment or tenant. This segmentation allows the controller to manage multiple isolated routing contexts independently, improving scalability as each VRF can be configured and managed separately. The translation table further segments address resolution by VNID, enabling the system to scale to support multiple tenants and network segments without proportionally increasing overall controller complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If in-band communications are managed across virtual network segments, then network functionality is improved, but performance and latency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing the translation table with all necessary address mappings before in-band communications begin. The controller performs address resolution and VNID-based routing decisions in advance, so that when packets traverse virtual network segments, the routing paths are already determined and optimized. This preliminary setup reduces per-packet processing latency while maintaining the functionality of managing communications across multiple virtual network segments.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a network controller in a data center network establishes a translation table for in-band traffic in a data center network, the translation table resolves ambiguous network addresses based on one or more of a virtual network identifier (VNID), a routable tenant address, or a unique loopback address. The network controller device receives packets originating from applications and/or an endpoints operating in a network segment associated with a VNID. The network controller device translates, using the translation table, unique loopback addresses and/or routable tenant addresses associated with the packets into routable tenant addresses and/or unique loopback addresses, respectively.