Staged Sampling Aggregation for Network Traffic Path Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current network sampling services provide limited and disjointed information about packet forwarding paths, leading to incomplete data for flow collectors, which can result in suboptimal network configurations and inefficient resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a sampling aggregator device that collects and aggregates first-stage and second-stage sampling information from packet forwarding devices along a packet forwarding path, enabling the transmission of comprehensive aggregate sampling information to a sampling analyzer device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If network sampling services are implemented at individual packet forwarding devices, then sampling information can be collected at specific stages, but the information remains limited and disjointed, leading to incomplete data for flow collectors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of sampling informationVSAvoidcomplexity of sampling aggregation system

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines sampling information from multiple packet forwarding devices at different stages into a single aggregate data set. The flow collector receives and merges first-stage sampling information from ingress devices with second-stage sampling information from egress devices, creating comprehensive sampling data that covers the entire packet forwarding path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a flow collector as an intermediary component that mediates between packet forwarding devices and the analysis system. The flow collector receives sampling information from multiple sources, aggregates it, and provides complete sampling data to eliminate information loss while managing system complexity centrally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If multiple sampling stages are implemented across different packet forwarding devices, then more comprehensive information can be obtained, but the data remains disjointed and requires complex aggregation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of forwarding path informationVSAvoidease of sampling data collection

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The flow collector is designed as a universal platform that handles multiple functions: receiving sampling information from various packet forwarding devices, aggregating data from different sampling stages, and providing comprehensive forwarding path information. This multi-functional approach simplifies operations by consolidating complex aggregation tasks into a single versatile component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If centralized flow collection is implemented, then overall network traffic analysis is enabled, but the sampling information from different stages remains disjointed and incomplete

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork traffic analysis capabilityVSAvoidcompleteness of packet forwarding path data

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the sampling process into distinct stages (first-stage at ingress devices, second-stage at egress devices) while maintaining centralized collection. Each segment captures specific forwarding path information, and the flow collector integrates these segmented data sets to reconstruct complete packet forwarding paths, enabling comprehensive network traffic analysis without information loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12341669B1Staged sampling information for network traffic

Publication Date: 2025.06.24 JUNIPER NETWORKS INC

AI summary

In some implementations, a sampling aggregator device may obtain, from one or more packet forwarding devices, first-stage sampling information associated with a packet at a first stage of a packet forwarding path. The sampling aggregator device may obtain, from the one or more packet forwarding devices, second-stage sampling information associated with the packet at a second stage of the packet forwarding path. The sampling aggregator device may determine aggregate sampling information based on the first-stage sampling information and the second-stage sampling information. The sampling aggregator device may transmit the aggregate sampling information to a sampling analyzer device.