SDN Controller Routing Data Exchange Across OpenFlow Islands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional SDN networks lack a mechanism for inter-tenant and inter-openflow island communication, relying on external routers and not sharing routing data between different OpenFlow islands, which limits communication between entities across multiple tenants.
Innovation Solution
Encoding tenant information into packet headers and using aggregated virtual routers to facilitate communication between OpenFlow islands, enabling direct exchange of routing data and configuration-driven inter-tenant communication within the SDN network, without relying on external routers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional SDN networks use separate OpenFlow islands for different tenants, then tenant isolation is maintained, but inter-tenant communication capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (cross-island routing protocol and gateway entities) that enables communication between isolated OpenFlow islands. The intermediary allows tenants to communicate across islands while maintaining isolation within each island, resolving the contradiction between isolation and communication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the routing functionality into island-specific routing tables and cross-island routing tables. This segmentation allows each island to maintain its own isolation while enabling controlled inter-island communication through the segmented routing structure, thus preserving both isolation and communication capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If external routers are used for inter-tenant communication, then communication between OpenFlow islands is enabled, but dependency on external infrastructure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the routing functionality directly into the SDN controllers, combining island-specific routing and cross-island routing into a unified controller-based architecture. This eliminates the need for separate external routers, reducing infrastructure complexity while maintaining communication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The SDN controller is designed to perform multiple functions: managing island-specific routing, handling cross-island routing, and enabling inter-tenant communication all through a single multi-functional platform. This universality removes dependency on specialized external routing infrastructure.
3Device complexity
If routing data is not shared between OpenFlow islands, then system modularity is maintained, but routing efficiency across islands deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing cross-island routing tables and configuring gateway entities before communication needs arise. This allows routing data to be shared and prepared in advance, improving routing efficiency while maintaining the modular structure of separate islands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by replicating routing information from island-specific routing tables into cross-island routing tables. This copying mechanism enables efficient routing across islands without requiring complex real-time data sharing, thus maintaining modularity while improving routing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Inter-tenant and inter-openflow island software communicate in SDN networks by: (i) providing a software defined networking (SDN) network including a plurality of Openflow islands, a first tenant and a second tenant; and (ii) communicating, from the first tenant over the SDN network to the second tenant, a first communication. The first communication passes through at least two Openflow islands of the plurality of Openflow islands as the first communication is communicated through the SDN network from the first tenant to the second tenant.