Spine-Leaf Topology Miswiring Detection Using Hop Count Parity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for deploying spine and leaf network topologies are inefficient due to miswirings, leading to degraded flooding performance and waste of computing and networking resources as they attempt to recover lost traffic.
Innovation Solution
A network device detects miswirings by analyzing topology data with a shortest path first model, identifying odd or even hop counts to detect misconfigured connections without requiring configuration or protocol changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current techniques are used to deploy spine and leaf network topologies, then network connectivity is established, but miswirings occur leading to degraded flooding performance and wasted computing resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing miswiring detection during the topology deployment phase before traffic flows are established. The system analyzes topology data and calculates hop counts to identify miswirings proactively, allowing correction before performance degradation occurs. This prevents the need for resource-intensive post-detection recovery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where network devices exchange topology data and hop count information to identify miswirings. The system uses this feedback to generate notifications about detected miswirings, enabling corrective action before flooding performance is severely impacted, thus conserving computing resources.
2Reliability
If miswirings are detected after traffic loss occurs, then recovery can be attempted, but computing and networking resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs miswiring detection preliminarily by analyzing topology data and calculating hop counts before traffic loss occurs. By identifying miswirings during the deployment or initialization phase, the system prevents traffic loss from beginning in the first place, eliminating the need for resource-intensive recovery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by taking corrective measures against miswirings before they can cause traffic loss. The system detects miswirings through hop count analysis and generates notifications for correction, preventing the harmful effect of traffic loss before it occurs, thereby avoiding waste of computing and networking resources on recovery.
3Reliability
If hop count analysis is performed on all paths, then miswirings can be detected, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the topology analysis into manageable segments - analyzing paths from individual network devices to specific destinations rather than processing all possible paths simultaneously. The system segments the hop count analysis by destination and by network device, making the processing complexity manageable while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by performing hop count analysis locally at each network device for paths to specific destinations, rather than requiring global analysis of the entire topology. Each device independently analyzes relevant paths, reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining comprehensive miswiring detection capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A network device may receive topology data identifying a spine and leaf topology of network devices, and may set link metrics to a common value to generate modified topology data. The network device may remove data identifying connections from leaf network devices to any devices outside the topology from the modified topology data to generate further modified topology data, and may process the further modified topology data, with a model, to determine path data identifying paths to destinations. The network device may determine particular path data identifying shorter paths and longer paths to corresponding destinations, and may determine hop counts associated with the paths. The network device may determine whether the hop counts are all odd values, all even values, or odd and even values, and may perform actions based on whether the hop counts are all odd values, all even values, or odd and even values.