SD-WAN Edge Device Domain Change Detection via Overlay Digests
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Solution Overview
Problem
In SD-WAN environments, existing systems face challenges in efficiently detecting domain changes without maintaining a persistent connection with the network orchestrator, leading to scalability issues and increased workload on the management system.
Innovation Solution
The system generates and communicates overlay domain digests using Adelson, Velski, and Landis (AVL) tree calculations, allowing edge devices to detect domain changes independently by comparing digests and re-establishing connections with the orchestrator as needed, reducing the reliance on explicit notifications from the management system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the orchestrator maintains persistent connections with all edge devices to notify them of domain changes, then domain change detection reliability is improved, but system complexity and workload on the management system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the domain change notification function from the orchestrator and implements it autonomously at each controller. Each controller maintains a domain digest of its local domain members and independently generates change notifications when its domain changes, eliminating the need for the orchestrator to maintain persistent connections with all edge devices for notification purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the centralized notification system into distributed autonomous controllers. Instead of one orchestrator notifying all edge devices, multiple controllers independently monitor their own domains and notify edge devices of their respective domain changes, distributing the notification workload across the network.
2Reliability
If the orchestrator notifies all edge devices of domain changes, then domain change detection completeness is improved, but workload on the management system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling each controller to autonomously monitor its own domain members and generate change notifications independently. The controllers maintain local domain digests and automatically detect when their domain composition changes, then notify affected edge devices without requiring orchestrator intervention for each notification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the centralized notification workload into multiple independent controller instances. Each controller handles notifications for its own domain changes, distributing the workload across the network infrastructure rather than concentrating it all at the orchestrator.
3Measurement precision
If edge devices maintain persistent connections with the orchestrator to detect domain changes, then domain change detection accuracy is improved, but scalability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces controllers as intermediary entities between the orchestrator and edge devices. Controllers receive domain information from the orchestrator and maintain local domain digests, then serve as intermediaries that directly notify edge devices of domain changes. This intermediary layer enables edge devices to detect changes without maintaining persistent connections to the orchestrator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having controllers pre-compute and maintain domain digests of their local domain members. When domain changes occur, the controllers have the change information ready to immediately notify edge devices, eliminating the need for edge devices to continuously poll or maintain persistent connections with the orchestrator for change detection.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes generating, by a first controller of a network, an overlay domain digest using a first domain digest associated with the first controller of the network and a second domain digest associated with a second controller of the network. The method also includes communicating, by the first controller, the overlay domain digest to an edge device of the network, updating, by the first controller, the overlay domain digest to generate an updated overlay domain digest, and communicating, by the first controller, the updated overlay domain digest to the edge device of the network. The method further includes detecting, by the edge device, a difference between the overlay domain digest and the updated overlay domain digest and re-establishing, by the edge device, a connection with an orchestrator of the network to determine a control plane domain change within the network.