Network Stream Tracer Logic for Dropped Packet Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network elements, such as routers and switches, often misforward traffic due to software bugs, hardware issues, or incorrect programming, leading to dropped network data, which can be difficult to detect and correct.
Innovation Solution
Implementing stream tracer logic within network elements to mark and count network data units as they pass through the forwarding pipeline, allowing for the detection of dropped units by comparing ingress and egress counts, thereby identifying misforwarding issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network elements forward traffic using standard forwarding logic, then traffic forwarding capability is maintained, but dropped network data due to software bugs, hardware issues, or incorrect programming cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces stream tracer logic as an intermediary component within the forwarding pipeline that marks selected network data units and counts them at ingress and egress points. This mediator enables detection of dropped traffic without disrupting the primary forwarding function, resolving the contradiction between maintaining forwarding capability and detecting dropped data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the forwarding pipeline into distinct detection regions with ingress and egress counting points. By dividing the monitoring function into separate counting logic components at different pipeline stages, the system can detect drops without complicating the overall forwarding logic, as each segment operates independently.
2Measurement precision
If stream tracer logic marks and counts all network data units, then detection precision is improved, but device resource consumption and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies marking logic selectively to only certain network data units rather than all units. The marking logic can be configured to mark specific traffic flows, protocols, or priority levels, enabling precise detection where needed while conserving processing resources for other traffic, thus resolving the contradiction between detection precision and resource consumption.
3Reliability
If detection regions are positioned throughout the forwarding pipeline, then detection coverage is improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the counting logic to be a universal component that can be positioned at multiple locations within the forwarding pipeline. The same counting mechanism serves both ingress and egress detection functions, and can be deployed at different pipeline stages to monitor various traffic flows, simplifying implementation while maintaining comprehensive detection coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a network element comprising a control plane including stream tracer logic are described herein. The network element additionally includes a data plane coupled to the control plane, where the data plane includes forwarding logic to forward a unit of network data from an ingress interface to an egress interface. The stream tracer logic can be configured to cause marking logic to mark selected units of network data for to be counted by counting logic and to cause the counting logic to count marked units of network data. The stream tracer logic can determine whether units of network data are dropped within the forwarding logic via comparison of an ingress count of the marked units of network data with an egress count of the marked units of network data.