SDN Pipeline Abstraction Layer for Flow Rule Portability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software-defined networking (SDN) applications face complexity and portability issues due to the need to understand specific table capabilities of network devices' pipelines, which varies across different devices, making it difficult to determine the applicable table ID for flow rules.
Innovation Solution
A pipeline abstraction layer generates a subscription policy reflecting the network device's pipeline capabilities, allowing SDN applications to provide match fields and actions without prior knowledge of the device's pipeline tables, and provides a table ID for flow rules, enabling flow decisions without specific knowledge of the device's table capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If SDN applications directly interact with network device pipeline tables, then flow rules can be implemented, but the applications face complexity and portability issues due to varying table capabilities across devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary between SDN applications and network device pipeline tables. The controller obtains table capabilities from the network device, generates a mapping between abstract flow rule attributes and specific table IDs, and provides this mapping to the application. This intermediary layer shields the application from device-specific complexity while maintaining portability across different network devices with varying pipeline capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the system into three distinct layers: the SDN application layer that defines flow rules using abstract attributes, the controller layer that manages the mapping between attributes and device-specific table IDs, and the network device layer that executes flow rules using its native pipeline tables. This segmentation allows each layer to operate independently with its own complexity model, improving overall system portability.
2Reliability
If SDN applications must understand specific table capabilities of network devices, then flow rules can be properly configured, but this requirement makes it difficult to determine the applicable table ID for flow rules
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary actions by obtaining the network device's table capabilities in advance and generating a mapping between abstract flow rule attributes and specific table IDs before the application needs to configure flow rules. This pre-computed mapping is stored and reused, eliminating the need for the application to repeatedly determine table IDs and ensuring consistent, accurate flow rule configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an abstracted copy of the device's pipeline capabilities in the form of a mapping table that translates abstract flow rule attributes to device-specific table IDs. This copy allows the application to work with simplified attribute definitions while the controller handles the translation to actual table IDs, ensuring both ease of operation and configuration accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different network devices implement pipelines using different numbers of tables and configurations, then device functionality is preserved, but SDN application portability across devices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal interface layer through the controller that handles diverse device pipeline configurations. The controller generates device-specific mapping tables that adapt the universal abstract flow rule attributes to each device's specific table structure. This allows the same SDN application to portably deploy across different devices with varying pipeline configurations, as the controller translates the universal attribute definitions to device-specific table ID references.
Data Source
AI summary
A match field and an action for a flow rule may be received from a software defined networking application. A mapping of table identifications to attributes may be analyzed to obtain a table identification. The table identification may be for a pipeline table of a network device. The pipeline table may be able to implement the match field and the action.