SDN Controller Enforcing Message Delivery Order
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed processing systems, such as Hadoop MapReduce, face challenges in ensuring a specific sequence of message delivery between nodes to maintain consistent updated states and prevent negative impacts from actions taken at the wrong time.
Innovation Solution
A software-defined network (SDN) controller configures the network to enforce a desired message delivery order by associating a desired delivery order with an aliased destination address value and modifying flow tables in network devices to deliver messages accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If distributed processing nodes send messages to coordinate workload processing, then processing coordination is achieved, but message delivery order cannot be guaranteed leading to inconsistent node states
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an SDN controller as an intermediary between message sources and destinations. The controller intercepts messages, applies flow table rules to enforce delivery order, and manages the sequencing logic centrally. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing reliable ordered delivery without requiring complex coordination logic at each distributed node.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the message sequencing and ordering logic from the distributed processing nodes and relocates it to the SDN controller's flow table management system. By taking out the ordering function from the application layer and placing it in the network infrastructure layer, the system achieves reliable delivery order while keeping node complexity low.
2Reliability
If distributed nodes implement their own message ordering logic, then delivery order can be maintained, but the burden on applications and nodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The SDN controller acts as a mediator that handles message ordering automatically. Applications simply send messages to the SDN-controlled network without implementing complex ordering logic. The controller uses flow tables to manage delivery sequences, reducing the operational burden on both applications and nodes while maintaining reliable ordered delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The network infrastructure provides self-service ordering capabilities through SDN-controlled flow tables. Instead of requiring applications to manually manage message sequences, the system automatically enforces delivery order based on pre-configured flow rules, making the system easier to operate while maintaining reliability.
3Productivity
If messages are delivered without enforced ordering, then network speed is faster, but system consistency cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring flow table rules in the SDN controller that define the desired message delivery order before messages are sent. These flow rules are established in advance based on the application's consistency requirements. When messages arrive, the pre-configured rules automatically enforce the correct sequence without adding processing delays, thus maintaining both speed and consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts message delivery based on flow table rules. The SDN controller can adjust flow table configurations to match different consistency requirements of various applications. This dynamic approach allows the network to optimize delivery speed while maintaining the specific ordering constraints needed for system consistency, rather than using a static one-size-fits-all ordering mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are techniques enabling the delivery of messages according to a desired delivery order in a software defined network. A desired delivery order for messages sent to multiple nodes in a cluster can be received. The cluster can be associated with a distributed application and the nodes in the cluster can be interconnected via the software defined network. The software defined network can be configured to deliver the messages according to the desired delivery order.