Static TRILL Routing Bridges for Bandwidth Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current TRILL networks using IS-IS link state protocol for Layer 2 routing are inefficient in utilizing available bridges and bandwidth due to the single loop-free path established by Spanning Tree Protocol, limiting aggregate bandwidth and throughput.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system for static routing in TRILL networks where routing bridges receive instructions to identify next hop routing bridges, encapsulate and decapsulate data packets with TRILL headers, and use LLDP databases to determine optimal paths, allowing for multiple path routing and efficient data forwarding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Spanning Tree Protocol is used to establish a single loop-free path, then network reliability is improved, but bandwidth utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the routing decision process into two parts: global path selection using IS-IS link state protocol for reliability, and local next-hop selection using static routing tables for optimization. This allows the system to maintain loop-free paths while enabling multiple active paths for bandwidth utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic next-hop selection based on static routing tables that can be configured to prefer specific paths. This dynamic configuration allows the system to switch between multiple valid paths depending on bandwidth requirements while maintaining the loop-free guarantee through IS-IS.
2Productivity
If IS-IS link state protocol is used for routing, then path optimization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes routing bridges multi-functional by enabling them to perform both IS-IS link state protocol operations for global path optimization and static routing table lookups for local decisions. This multi-functionality allows a single device to handle both optimization and simplified routing without requiring separate specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces static routing tables as an intermediary between the complex IS-IS protocol and the simpler forwarding decision process. This intermediary layer absorbs the complexity of multiple path analysis while presenting a simplified next-hop selection interface to the forwarding plane.
3Loss of energy
If multiple paths are enabled for higher throughput, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but network reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments path management into two layers: IS-IS maintains the global loop-free topology for reliability, while static routing tables manage local path selection for bandwidth utilization. This segmentation allows multiple paths to be used without compromising the loop-free guarantee.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares multiple valid paths in advance through static routing table configuration, allowing the system to switch between paths based on current conditions. This pre-prepared path infrastructure ensures that when multiple paths are used for bandwidth optimization, the reliability guarantee is maintained through proper path management.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for static routing in a TRILL network is disclosed. Routing bridges in the TRILL network use LLDP discovery to identify their next hop routing bridges. A data packet, with an inner header specifying a MAC address of a destination host, is sent by a source host and received by an ingress routing bridge. The ingress routing bridge encapsulates the data packet with a TRILL header and an outer header and sends the data packet to a next hop routing bridge on path to the destination host. The next hop routing bridge determines it is not the egress routing bridge for the data packet and sends the data packet onward to the egress routing bridge. The egress routing bridge decapsulates the data packet and forwards the data packet to the destination host specified in the inner header.