Single Active PNIC SDN Deployment via Unified Virtual Switch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deploying a Software Defined Networking (SDN) solution on a host requires multiple active Physical Network Interface Cards (PNICs) to ensure fault tolerance and efficient network traffic handling, which is costly and inefficient in terms of hardware resource utilization, especially when only one active uplink is used.
Innovation Solution
Configuring a host to use a single virtual switch and a single active PNIC to handle both overlay and other network traffic types by integrating SDN components with existing virtual switches, allowing for efficient management and control of network traffic without the need for multiple PNICs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple active PNICs are used to deploy SDN solution, then network reliability and fault tolerance are improved, but hardware cost and resource utilization efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges overlay traffic and underlay traffic into a single active PNIC by implementing a unified forwarding plane that handles both traffic types. The virtual switch is configured to receive overlay traffic from VMs and underlay traffic from the physical network through the same PNIC, eliminating the need for separate PNICs for each traffic type while maintaining network reliability through intelligent traffic separation and forwarding rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The single active PNIC is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it handles overlay traffic for virtual machines, underlay traffic for physical network communication, management plane traffic, and control plane traffic. The forwarding plane implements multi-functionality by applying different forwarding rules to different traffic types through the same physical interface, reducing hardware requirements while maintaining full network functionality.
2Productivity
If multiple active PNICs are deployed for SDN, then traffic handling capability is improved, but device complexity and deployment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple traffic handling functions into a single PNIC by implementing a unified forwarding plane in the virtual switch. This forwarding plane processes overlay traffic, underlay traffic, management traffic, and control plane traffic through the same physical interface using intelligent routing and forwarding rules, thereby reducing device complexity and deployment cost while maintaining high traffic handling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
While using a single PNIC, the patent segments traffic into different planes (overlay, underlay, management, control) and applies specific forwarding rules to each segment. This logical segmentation allows the single PNIC to handle multiple traffic types efficiently without confusion, maintaining high productivity through organized traffic flow management.
3Quantity of substance
If a single active PNIC is used, then hardware cost and resource efficiency are improved, but network fault tolerance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements prior cushioning by configuring the single active PNIC with redundant forwarding rules and multiple logical channels for different traffic planes. The system prepares alternative forwarding paths and traffic separation mechanisms in advance, so that if the single PNIC fails, the network can quickly failover to backup infrastructure without loss of fault tolerance, while still using only one active PNIC during normal operation.
4Ease of operation
If overlay and underlay traffic are separated onto different PNICs, then traffic management is simplified, but hardware resource utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges overlay and underlay traffic onto the same active PNIC while maintaining simplified traffic management through a unified forwarding plane. The virtual switch implements intelligent traffic classification and forwarding rules that automatically direct overlay traffic and underlay traffic through the same physical interface without manual configuration complexity, achieving both hardware efficiency and operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides an approach for deploying an software defined networking (SDN) solution on a host using a single virtual switch and a single active network interface card (NIC) to handle overlay traffic and also other types of network traffic, such as traffic between management components of the logical overlay networks, traffic of a virtual storage area network (VSAN), traffic used to move VMs between hosts, traffic associated with VMKernel services or network stacks provided by a VMKernel that is provided as part of the hypervisor on the host, a gateway device that may be implemented as a VCI on the host, and different SDN-related components, such as an SDN manager implementing the MP and an SDN controller implementing the CP, etc.