SD-WAN Edge Router Multi-Tenancy via Shared Control Plane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current SD-WAN edge routers face challenges in achieving multi-tenancy without incurring high overhead, resource fragmentation, and complex configurations, which hinder efficient utilization of shared network resources and increase operational costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a shared control plane infrastructure across tenants, using a mapping of tenant VPNs to device VPNs, and generating labels for network packets to isolate and manage traffic, thereby enabling multi-tenancy with minimal overhead and resource sharing within a single router instance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate instances are deployed for each tenant, then tenant isolation and security are improved, but resource utilization efficiency deteriorates and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple tenant instances into a single shared router instance by implementing a unified control plane that handles multiple Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instances. The control plane processes packets for different tenants through a single instance, eliminating the need for separate router instances for each tenant while maintaining logical isolation through VRF mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The router instance is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously by serving multiple tenants through a single shared instance. The control plane is configured to handle traffic for different VRF instances, allowing one router to perform the work of multiple dedicated routers while optimizing resource utilization across all tenants.
2Reliability
If multiple independent instances are deployed, then tenant isolation is improved, but device complexity and configuration complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent instances into a single shared router by implementing a unified control plane architecture. This consolidation reduces configuration complexity while maintaining logical segmentation through VRF instances, as the control plane manages all tenant traffic through a single instance rather than requiring separate configurations for each tenant's dedicated instance.
3Productivity
If shared control plane infrastructure is implemented, then resource sharing and cost reduction are improved, but control over individual tenant resources may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments tenant resources logically through VRF instances while sharing the physical router infrastructure. Each tenant is assigned a dedicated VRF instance that isolates their traffic and resources, allowing the shared control plane to maintain separate control over each tenant's resources while benefiting from physical resource sharing and cost reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes identifying, by a router, a first tenant. The first tenant is associated with a first tenant virtual private network (VPN). The method also includes determining, by the router, a mapping of the first tenant VPN to a first device VPN and generating, by the router, a first label representing the first device VPN. The method further includes adding, by the router, the first label to a first network packet and communicating, by the router, the first network packet with the first label to a controller.