Physical Network Element Segmented Routing Entities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network technologies, such as VRF, struggle to efficiently manage multiple routing devices due to service segregation requirements, where routing planes and management planes of different services cannot be consolidated without affecting each other, especially in cases of BGP packet flooding or L3VPN services with overlapping IDs.
Innovation Solution
A physical network element that operates as multiple independent routing entities, each with its own control, management, and data planes, sharing resources like packet processors, CPUs, and network interfaces, with a mapping table to manage overlapping IDs, and software processes running in separated containers to ensure segregation and flexible resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple routing devices are deployed for different services, then service isolation and reliability are improved, but hardware resource utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments a single physical routing device into multiple virtual routing entities (VRFs), each operating independently with isolated control and data planes. This segmentation allows different services to run in separate virtual instances on the same hardware platform, achieving service isolation without requiring multiple physical devices, thereby improving hardware resource utilization while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple virtual routing entities onto a single physical routing device platform. By combining multiple VRF instances that share common hardware resources (packet processors, CPUs, memory, network interfaces) while maintaining logical isolation through virtualization, the system achieves both service separation and efficient hardware utilization.
2Productivity
If VRF technology is used to consolidate multiple routing instances, then hardware utilization is improved, but routing plane isolation deteriorates due to BGP packet flooding affecting all VRFs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the routing plane into separate virtual instances with isolated control and data planes. Each VRF entity maintains its own independent routing processes, preventing BGP packet flooding in one VRF from affecting other VRFs. This segmentation is achieved through separate control plane instances and isolated data plane forwarding, while still sharing underlying hardware resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer as an intermediary between the physical hardware and multiple VRF instances. This virtualization layer manages resource allocation and isolation, allowing multiple routing entities to share hardware resources while maintaining strict routing plane isolation. The virtualization layer acts as a mediator that prevents cross-contamination between VRFs while enabling efficient resource sharing.
3Device complexity
If routing entities share common hardware resources, then device complexity is reduced, but resource allocation management deteriorates due to overlapping IDs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of routing entity identifiers (VRF IDs) within the virtualized environment. Each virtual routing entity can use its own ID space independently, and the virtualization layer maintains mapping tables that translate these virtual IDs to unique physical resource identifiers. This copying approach allows multiple VRFs to share hardware resources without ID conflicts while simplifying the physical device count.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mapping table mechanism as an intermediary between virtual routing entity IDs and physical hardware resource IDs. This mapping layer resolves ID overlap issues by translating virtual IDs to unique physical resource identifiers, enabling multiple VRFs to share hardware resources without conflicts while maintaining ease of operation through independent ID management in each virtual instance.
Data Source
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AI summary
A physical network element is provided which is configured to operate as a plurality of separated routing entities, each functioning independently of the others, wherein the physical network element is characterized in that: a) each of the plurality of routing entities is provided with its own control, management and data planes, as well as with a dedicated routing information base table and a forwarding information base table; and b) all of the plurality of routing entities are configured to operate while sharing at least one member of a group that consists of: (i) one or more packet processors comprised in the physical network element; (ii) one or more central processing units (CPUs) comprised in the physical network element; (iii) one or more fabrics comprised in the physical network element; and (iv) one or more network interfaces comprised in the physical network element.