SDN Controller Multi-Path Transmission via Network Coding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current network transmission technologies, such as MPTCP, face limitations in enhancing transmission performance in lossy networks due to packet loss and delay variations across paths, requiring additional hardware resources and specific software support, and are not transparent to the sending and receiving ends.
Innovation Solution
A method and network controller for software-defined networks (SDNs) that facilitate multi-path transmission by using control messages with flow control information to manage packet forwarding based on path weights, enabling transparent multi-path transmission without the need for additional hardware or software at the sending and receiving ends, and employing network coding and decoding to enhance transmission efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If MPTCP protocol is used to enable multi-path transmission, then transmission reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to requirement of additional hardware resources and specific software support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network controller as an intermediary component that manages multi-path transmission. The controller receives packets from the sending end, determines optimal paths based on network conditions, and forwards packets through multiple paths to the receiving end. This intermediary approach enables multi-path transmission without requiring modifications to the sending end or receiving end hardware/software, thus improving reliability while avoiding increased device complexity at the endpoints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the transmission function by separating packet forwarding decisions from the endpoints. The network controller independently manages path selection and packet routing, while the sending end and receiving end simply transmit and receive packets respectively. This segmentation allows multi-path transmission capability to be centralized in the controller without complicating the endpoint devices.
2Reliability
If MPTCP protocol is used to enable multi-path transmission, then transmission reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to non-transparency to sending and receiving ends
Solution Approach 1:
The network controller serves as a transparent intermediary that handles all multi-path transmission logic. The sending end simply sends packets without needing to know about or configure multiple paths, and the receiving end simply receives packets without needing to manage path diversity. This intermediary approach maintains ease of operation at the endpoints while achieving improved reliability through multi-path transmission.
3Ease of operation
If conventional routing rules are used to transmit packets, then ease of operation is maintained, but transmission performance deteriorates due to fixed routing path inability to handle packet loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic path selection capability in the network controller that adapts to changing network conditions. The controller continuously monitors packet loss rates and transmission quality across different paths, and dynamically adjusts routing decisions in real-time. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain ease of operation at the endpoints while significantly improving transmission performance by avoiding congested or lossy paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The network controller implements feedback mechanisms to monitor transmission quality metrics such as packet loss rate, delay, and throughput across different paths. Based on this feedback information, the controller adjusts path selection and packet forwarding decisions to optimize transmission performance. This feedback-driven dynamic routing maintains endpoint simplicity while improving overall transmission efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for facilitating a flow from a sending end to a receiving end by multi-path transmission is introduced. The method is applied to a network controller of a software-defined network. The software-defined network includes a plurality of switches. The switches execute packet forwarding from the sending end to the receiving end. The method includes: executing, by the network controller, operations, so as for a flow from the sending end to reach the receiving end by multi-path transmission using a plurality of network paths, so as to enable the multi-path transmission to be transparent to the sending end and the receiving end. The network controller is, according to the method, configured to facilitate a transmission mechanism for multi-path stochastic switching or a transmission mechanism for multi-path stochastic switching with network coding, so as to enable multi-path transmission of the packets in one single flow and thus enhance transmission performance.