SD-WAN Traffic Conditioning via Packet Striping and FEC
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Solution Overview
Problem
Real-time applications such as streaming and interactive communications face delays due to packet loss and retransmission in network data communications, especially in Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN), where traditional error correction techniques can increase traffic and latency.
Innovation Solution
The method involves monitoring multiple data paths in an SD-WAN to determine link utilization and quality scores, generating forward error correction (FEC) packets, and strategically allocating data packets across paths to minimize latency and packet loss, using techniques like packet striping and FEC to ensure reliable data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional error correction techniques are used to handle packet loss, then packet loss is reduced, but traffic volume and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The data stream is segmented into multiple parallel streams that are transmitted simultaneously over different network paths. Each segment is independently processed with FEC, allowing parallel error correction without sequential delays. This segmentation enables the system to achieve reliable packet loss recovery while maintaining low latency through concurrent transmission and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
Forward error correction packets are generated and transmitted in advance with the data packets before loss is detected. By performing error correction preparation beforehand rather than waiting for packet loss to occur and then requesting retransmission, the system eliminates retransmission delays while maintaining reliability.
2Productivity
If packet striping is used to distribute traffic across multiple paths, then throughput increases, but packet loss may increase due to more lossy paths
Solution Approach 1:
Different FEC protection levels are applied to different path segments based on their individual quality characteristics. Paths with higher loss rates receive stronger FEC protection while paths with lower loss rates receive lighter protection. This localized quality adjustment allows the system to maximize throughput across all paths while maintaining overall reliability through adaptive error correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts FEC packet generation parameters based on real-time path quality monitoring. When path conditions change, the FEC protection level and redundancy ratio are modified to optimize the balance between throughput and packet loss recovery, allowing the system to adapt to varying network conditions while maintaining both high productivity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein disclose conditioning traffic through multiple data paths of a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN). Some embodiments include monitoring a first and a second path through an SD-WAN to reach a destination node, comparing the link utilization for the first and the second path to generate an allocation ratio of the first and the second path, allocating a sequence of data packets to the first and the second path using the allocation ratio to generate a first path data sequence and a second path data sequence, generating a forward error correction (FEC) packet for first path sequence, sending the first path data sequence to the destination node on the first path, sending the second path data sequence to the destination node on the second path, and sending the FEC packet on at least one of the first and the second path.