SDN Controller Dynamic Tunnel Management for SD-WAN
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current SD-WAN solutions face scalability issues and high overhead in configuring and managing full mesh topologies, which require extensive computational resources and result in prolonged deployment times due to the need for static tunnel configurations between all spoke devices.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a software-defined networking (SDN) controller that dynamically creates and deletes tunnels based on key performance indicators (KPIs), allowing for on-demand tunnel creation between spoke devices to bypass hub devices, thereby reducing the need for a full mesh configuration and optimizing resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full mesh topology is implemented to enable direct communication between all spoke devices, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and computational overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic tunnel creation and deletion based on real-time traffic patterns and KPIs. The SDN controller continuously monitors network conditions and dynamically establishes direct spoke-to-spoke tunnels when beneficial, while maintaining hub-based routing for other traffic. This dynamic approach provides reliability when needed without the permanent complexity of a full mesh topology.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different routing qualities to different traffic flows. Instead of uniformly implementing full mesh connectivity for all traffic, the system selectively creates direct tunnels only for specific spoke device pairs that require enhanced communication reliability, while other traffic continues to use hub-based routing. This local optimization reduces overall system complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If static tunnel configurations are implemented between all spoke devices, then communication stability is improved, but deployment time increases due to extensive configuration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static pre-configured tunnels to dynamic on-demand tunnel creation. The SDN controller automatically establishes stable tunnels between spoke devices based on real-time traffic patterns and KPIs, eliminating the need for manual pre-configuration of all possible tunnels. This provides communication stability when needed while dramatically reducing deployment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The SDN controller autonomously monitors network conditions and automatically creates or deletes tunnels based on observed traffic patterns and policy criteria, without requiring manual configuration. This self-service capability provides stable communications while eliminating time-consuming manual setup processes.
3Loss of energy
If on-demand tunnel creation is implemented to reduce overhead, then resource usage is optimized, but communication reliability may deteriorate for spoke devices without direct tunnels
Solution Approach 1:
The SDN controller continuously monitors KPIs including traffic volume, latency, and packet loss between spoke devices. Based on this feedback, the controller dynamically creates direct tunnels when reliability metrics degrade or traffic patterns indicate benefit, ensuring communication reliability is maintained while optimizing resource usage through selective tunnel creation rather than universal full mesh connectivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques are described for policy driven on-demand tunnel creation and deletion between end points in a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) having a hub-and-spoke topology. A software-defined networking (SDN) controller that facilitates cloud-based services of a service provider network that sets up the SD-WAN is configured to determine whether a tunnel between end-points is to be created or deleted based on information indicative of the traffic, such as amount, time, application generating the traffic, and the like, between end-points.