SDN Policy Node Label Allocation for Traffic Flow Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Software Defined Network (SDN) solutions face scalability issues in handling multiple traffic paths and users, particularly in downlink directions, and struggle with maintaining rules for service chaining, especially for Layer 2-based services which often disrupt network topology awareness and require frequent classification and re-tagging.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a policy node that allocates labels for traffic flows and their destinations, allowing the Software Defined Network Controller (SDNC) to create paths based on these labels, and a classifying node to associate traffic flows with labels, enabling efficient steering through the SDN without the need for extensive rule creation at each hop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If individual user sessions are selected with five-tuple filtering for every hop in the service chain, then traffic flows can be steered through service paths, but the complexity to configure and set up increases and scaling becomes poor for the number of different traffic paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex five-tuple filtering logic from each individual hop and replaces it with a centralized service chain identifier (SCID) mechanism. The SCID is inserted at the ingress of the service chain and carried through all hops, eliminating the need for complex per-hop filtering rules while maintaining traffic steering capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a service chain identifier (SCID) as an intermediary element that mediates between the traffic flow and the service chain processing. This SCID acts as a simplified key that routing entities can use to determine service chain processing without requiring complex filtering rules, thus reducing configuration complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If all selected traffic passes a service independent of whether it is needed to simplify traffic steering rules, then traffic steering becomes simpler, but unnecessary services are processed increasing loss of time and energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary classification of traffic flows at the ingress of the service chain using the SCID. This preliminary action determines exactly which traffic flows need to pass through which services, preventing unnecessary services from processing unrelated traffic and thus reducing time loss while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Quantity of substance
If the number of users that may be steered into different traffic paths increases, then network capacity is improved, but the number of rules that need to be maintained increases causing scaling problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the SCID a universal identifier that can represent multiple traffic flows and service chain combinations. Instead of maintaining separate rules for each user and traffic path combination, the SCID serves as a multi-functional key that can map to different service chains based on the traffic flow characteristics, allowing the system to scale to many users without proportionally increasing the number of rules.
4Adaptability or versatility
If Layer 2-based service chaining is implemented, then service flexibility is improved, but services become unaware of network topology and tagging/chain data is destroyed requiring new classification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds the SCID within the packet header at Layer 3, nesting it in a position that survives Layer 2 processing. This nested placement ensures that the tagging/chain data is preserved through Layer 2 services without being destroyed, maintaining service flexibility while preventing information loss.
Data Source
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AI summary
The embodiments herein relate to a method in a policy node (103) configured to handle traffic flows in a communications system (100). The policy node (103) allocates a label-setting identifying a label, a particular traffic flow that will pass through a SDN (105), and one or more destinations (115, 120) for the particular traffic flow. The policy node (103) transmits information indicating the label-setting to a SDNC (108) configured to create a path for the traffic flow through the SDN (105) based on the label and said one or more destinations (115, 120) identified by the label-setting. The policy node (103) allocates a filter-setting defining that the particular traffic flow should be associated with the label. The policy node (103) transmits information indicating the filter-setting to a classifying node (101) configured to receive the particular traffic flow and to associate the particular traffic flow with the label.