SDN Controller Multipath Routing for Network Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multipath routing algorithms like OSPF/ECMP are not flexible enough to optimize network throughput, leading to sub-flows competing for network resources and reducing overall network performance in software-defined networks (SDNs).
Innovation Solution
A multipath routing method in SDNs that divides data flows into sub-flows and uses a heuristic algorithm to find disjoint paths with maximum bottleneck bandwidth, ensuring efficient distribution of sub-flows across multiple paths to prevent resource competition and reduce bandwidth differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional routing algorithms (OSPF/ECMP) are used for path selection, then routing implementation is simple, but sub-flows compete for network resources and network throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores the maximum bottleneck bandwidth and minimum hop count for each node before actual data transmission. This preliminary computation enables the routing algorithm to quickly select optimal paths without complex real-time calculations, thereby improving network throughput while maintaining routing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically selects routing paths based on real-time network conditions by comparing maximum bottleneck bandwidth and minimum hop count metrics. The routing algorithm adapts to changing network states by choosing paths that maximize bandwidth and minimize hops, thus improving throughput without requiring overly complex dynamic routing logic.
2Productivity
If multiple paths are used for data transmission, then network throughput increases, but path bandwidth difference increases and resource allocation becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the selection parameters for path choice by considering both maximum bottleneck bandwidth and minimum hop count together. This dual-parameter approach ensures that selected paths not only have high bandwidth but also maintain reasonable uniformity in bandwidth allocation, thereby improving throughput while preventing excessive bandwidth disparity among paths.
3Productivity
If disjoint paths are selected for sub-flows, then resource competition is reduced, but path selection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes and stores the maximum bottleneck bandwidth and minimum hop count for each node in advance. This preliminary action simplifies the actual path selection process by providing ready-to-use metrics, allowing the system to select disjoint paths efficiently without complex real-time computations, thus improving throughput while keeping selection complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A software-defined network (SDN) controller and a multipath routing method thereof are provided. In the method, a maximum bottleneck bandwidth (MBB) and a minimum hop count (MHC) of each of the nodes in the SDN are initiated. Next, a source node is visited, and neighboring nodes thereof are discovered to relax paths between the source node and each neighboring node. Then, a forwarding node having a maximum MBB among other nodes is visited, and its neighboring nodes which are connected therewith and unvisited are discovered to relax the paths between the forwarding node and each neighboring node. Afterwards, the rest of the nodes are consecutively visited until all nodes are visited. Finally, a disjoint path lookup table is established according to relation between the paths recorded for each node, and accordingly k disjoint paths having the maximum bottleneck bandwidth are found for transmitting k sub-flows divided from a data flow.