Sharing Performance Measurements Among Address Prefixes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for determining the best performing path in multi-homed computer networks face scalability issues due to the need for numerous probes and potential non-responsiveness of probe targets, leading to inaccurate traffic routing and inefficient resource usage.
Innovation Solution
A method where a local domain obtains performance measurements from a set of responding targets within a remote domain, applying these measurements to prefix-specific policies to route traffic based on corresponding policies and measurements, thereby optimizing traffic distribution across multiple exits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If performance measurements are determined per-traffic class and per-prefix using active probing, then routing accuracy is improved, but the number of required probes increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines performance measurements from multiple prefixes within the same remote domain into a shared pool. Instead of probing each prefix independently, the system aggregates measurements across prefixes, allowing a single probe to contribute to the performance knowledge of multiple prefixes. This merging approach maintains per-prefix routing accuracy while dramatically reducing the total number of probes required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal performance measurement pool that serves multiple prefixes simultaneously. A single performance measurement can be applied to multiple prefixes within the same remote domain, making the measurement process multi-functional. This universality allows the system to maintain accurate per-prefix routing decisions without requiring separate probing campaigns for each prefix.
2Reliability
If multiple probe targets are used for each prefix to ensure reachability, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the probe target selection process across multiple prefixes, creating a shared pool of probe targets that can be used to measure performance to any prefix within the remote domain. Instead of maintaining separate target lists for each prefix, the system combines them into a universal pool, reducing complexity while maintaining reliability through multiple measurement opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses probe targets from one prefix as representative copies for measuring performance to other prefixes within the same domain. Rather than requiring unique targets for each prefix, the system can use targets from any prefix in the domain as proxy measurement points, reducing the number of required targets while maintaining measurement reliability.
3Productivity
If performance measurements are collected for every prefix independently, then routing optimization is improved, but scalability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the performance measurement collection process across multiple prefixes by creating a shared measurement pool. Instead of independently collecting measurements for each prefix, the system combines measurements from any prefix in the remote domain into a universal pool that can be applied to all prefixes. This approach maintains routing optimization capability while enabling the system to scale to large numbers of prefixes without proportionally increasing measurement overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, performance measurements may be obtained at a local domain from a set of one or more responding targets of a particular remote domain. The performance measurements may then be applied to prefix-specific policies of any corresponding destination address prefix within the particular remote domain, such that traffic destined to a particular prefix of the particular remote domain may be routed from the local domain based on the corresponding prefix-specific policies and applied performance measurements.