Network Switch State Reporting via Synchronized Timestamps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed computing environments, network traffic congestion can lead to resource consumption issues, such as increased memory usage, power consumption, and packet delays, making it difficult to identify and manage traffic flow and resource allocation effectively across network switches.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a global snapshot system where network switches report synchronized network state metrics using a time synchronization protocol like IEEE 1588, allowing a network state monitor to generate a coherent view of the computing environment and identify congestion issues, enabling administrators to reallocate resources and adjust procedures accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If network switches operate without centralized monitoring, then device autonomy is maintained, but network traffic congestion cannot be identified and managed effectively
Solution Approach 1:
A network state monitor is introduced as an intermediary component that receives state data from multiple network switches and generates a global snapshot of network conditions. This mediator consolidates monitoring functions centrally, enabling effective detection of traffic congestion without requiring complex distributed monitoring across all switches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines individual state data from multiple network switches into a unified global snapshot view. By merging data from various switches and presenting a consolidated network state, the system enables comprehensive congestion detection while simplifying the monitoring architecture through centralized data aggregation.
2Loss of information
If network state data is collected from all switches continuously, then comprehensive network visibility is achieved, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network state monitor collects state data from switches at periodic intervals rather than continuously. This periodic sampling approach maintains comprehensive network visibility by capturing network state at regular intervals while significantly reducing resource consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
3Stability of the object's composition
If synchronized time stamps are used for state reporting, then global snapshot coherence is improved, but protocol complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal time synchronization protocol (such as IEEE 1588) that provides synchronized time stamps across all network switches. This single protocol serves multiple functions including time synchronization, event ordering, and snapshot coherence, thereby improving global snapshot coherence while minimizing protocol complexity through multi-functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments that relate to a network switch. The network switch obtains a network state metric, the network state metric quantifying a network traffic congestion associated with a switch. The network switch identifies a synchronous time stamp associated with the network state metric and generates an network state reporting message, the network state reporting message comprising the network state metric and the synchronous time stamp. The network state reporting message may be transmitted to a monitoring system.