SDN Controller Forwarder Identification via PnP Data Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
In SDN systems, the upgrade of the SDN controller is required to identify and manage new forwarders, leading to suspended network services and increased access costs, especially during intensive access scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The SDN controller sends a PnP data request to the new forwarder to obtain device capability information, allowing it to identify and manage the new forwarder without upgrading, thus reducing network access costs and minimizing service disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the SDN controller is upgraded to identify and manage new forwarders, then the SDN controller can recognize and manage newly accessed forwarders, but the network service must be suspended during the upgrade process
Solution Approach 1:
The SDN controller proactively collects and stores device capability information from forwarders in advance, building a local information base before new forwarders need to be identified. This preliminary information gathering allows the controller to immediately recognize and manage new forwarders without requiring service interruption for upgrades.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the SDN controller is upgraded to support newly accessing forwarders, then the controller can manage the new forwarders, but the network access cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
New forwarders automatically report their own device capability information to the SDN controller upon accessing the network. The controller stores this information locally and uses it for future identification, eliminating the need for costly controller upgrades to support new forwarder models. The system serves itself by collecting information from the devices rather than requiring expensive controller reconfiguration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the SDN controller collects device capability information from new forwarders, then the controller can identify new forwarders without upgrading, but additional communication overhead is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential device capability information (device type, model, and basic capabilities) that the SDN controller needs for identification and management. By collecting only this minimal necessary information rather than comprehensive device data, the solution achieves effective forwarder identification while keeping the additional communication overhead and processing complexity to a minimum.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the communications field, and disclose an identification method for network access of a forwarder, an SDN controller, and a forwarder, to resolve problems of high network access costs and impact on an ongoing network service that are caused when a new forwarder accesses an existing SDN system. A specific solution is as follows: An SDN controller receives registration information from a first forwarder, where the registration information includes a device type and a device model of the first forwarder; the SDN controller determines, based on the device type and the device model of the first forwarder, that an SDN system does not support the first forwarder; the SDN controller sends a PnP data request to the first forwarder, where the PnP data request is used to request the first forwarder to report device capability information; and the SDN controller receives the device capability information from the first forwarder. The embodiments of the present invention are used in a network access process of a forwarder.