Segment Routing Path Analysis for Network Manageability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Segment Routing (SR) technology lacks real-time manageability and accuracy in tracking data packet paths, leading to deviations between expected and actual paths, which complicates network management and increases costs due to high resource requirements for network-wide traffic collection and analysis.
Innovation Solution
A routing path analysis method and device that determines the actual working or protection path selected for a data packet by querying traffic information from key and relevant nodes using SNMP, and determining intermediate nodes via shortest path analysis, providing detailed routing path information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If network-wide traffic collection technology is used to track data packet paths, then traffic flow direction visualization is achieved, but network bandwidth is occupied, router workload increases, and high CPU and memory requirements increase network management server costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network into key nodes and relevant nodes based on segment routing label stacks. Instead of collecting traffic information from all nodes, only specific key nodes (diversion nodes, next-hop working path nodes, and next-hop protection path nodes) are monitored. This segmentation reduces the scope of traffic collection while maintaining accurate path tracking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making different nodes serve different functions. Key nodes perform traffic information reporting, while relevant nodes perform verification. This localized functional assignment optimizes resource usage and reduces overall network complexity compared to uniform network-wide monitoring.
2Measurement precision
If network-wide traffic collection is implemented to ensure accurate path tracking, then real-time monitoring is achieved, but data processing period becomes long and real-time requirements are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary traffic information from key nodes rather than collecting all traffic data across the network. By taking out only the relevant information needed for path verification (traffic info of key nodes and relevant nodes), the processing load is significantly reduced while maintaining tracking accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial action by monitoring only a subset of nodes (key and relevant nodes) rather than all nodes in the network. This partial monitoring approach provides sufficient path tracking accuracy without the excessive processing burden of complete network-wide monitoring.
3Measurement precision
If only key node status is obtained using SR label or BFD technology, then verification of key node selection is achieved, but status of non-key nodes cannot be obtained and real traffic path cannot be reflected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces relevant nodes as intermediaries between key nodes to obtain complete path information. Relevant nodes (neighboring nodes of key nodes) serve as mediators that provide verification information about the actual traffic path, enabling reconstruction of the complete route without requiring direct monitoring of every node.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to path verification by including both key nodes and their neighboring relevant nodes in the monitoring framework. This dimensional expansion from single-point key node verification to multi-point verification (key nodes plus relevant nodes) enables complete path reconstruction.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a routing path analysis method and device. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the method includes: determining a key node based on a label stack of segment routing of a data packet, where the key node includes a diversion node, a next-hop working path node of the diversion node, and a next-hop protection path node of the diversion node; and the diversion node is a crossed node of a working path and a protection path; determining neighboring nodes of the key node as relevant nodes; querying for traffic information of the key node and traffic information of the relevant nodes; selecting, from the key node and the relevant nodes based on the traffic information, nodes through which the data packet passes; and determining a routing path based on the nodes through which the data packet passes. It can be learned that the embodiments of the present disclosure can correctly determine, based on the traffic information of the key node and the traffic information of the relevant nodes, the working path or the protection path that is actually selected by the data packet, and can obtain more detailed routing path information.