Template-Driven Local Policy Updates for Scalable Tenant Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of managing scalability and predictability in datacenter environments with the introduction of containers and nested virtual machines, where conventional centralized network control methods are too slow for dynamic instantiation and resource allocation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing template-driven local policy updates, where a central controller calculates and pushes policy templates to local controllers, enabling them to manage resource allocation and policy updates for virtual machines and containers, thereby delegating configuration and increasing the speed of networking infrastructure updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If centralized network control methods are used to manage virtual machines and containers, then network policy consistency and centralized oversight are maintained, but the speed of policy updates and resource allocation becomes too slow for dynamic instantiation
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized network control is segmented into hierarchical levels: a central controller maintains overall policy consistency while local controllers handle dynamic resource allocation and policy updates for individual hosts. This segmentation enables faster local responses while maintaining centralized oversight through template-driven policy propagation.
Solution Approach 2:
Policy templates act as intermediaries between the central controller and local controllers. The central controller pushes template definitions that contain policy parameters and resource allocation rules, enabling local controllers to automatically generate and apply policies without direct central intervention for each change, thus accelerating update speed while maintaining consistency.
2Productivity
If more virtual machines and containers are instantiated to increase datacenter capacity, then resource utilization and service availability improve, but management overhead and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The policy template system provides universal management capabilities that work across diverse virtual machines and containers regardless of their specific functions or configurations. Templates define reusable policy patterns that can be applied systematically to large numbers of instances, reducing management complexity while enabling high resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity by parameterizing policy definitions in templates rather than managing individual policy configurations for each virtual machine or container. Local controllers dynamically adjust policy parameters based on resource utilization metrics and instantiation events, enabling scalable management of large numbers of virtualized resources through standardized template-driven processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Template-driven locally calculated policy updates for virtualized machines in a datacenter environment are described. A central control and monitoring node calculates and pushes down policy templates to local control and monitoring nodes. The templates provide boundaries and/or a pool of networking resources, from which the local control and monitoring node is enabled to calculate policy updates for locally instantiated virtual machines and containers.