TSN Priority Regeneration for Variable Traffic Preemption
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Solution Overview
Problem
The configuration of time sensitive networks (TSN) is complex and time-consuming, especially when integrating multiple proprietary field bus systems, and there is a need for improved automation and reliability in data stream delivery, particularly for critical applications like industrial control systems.
Innovation Solution
A method for operating a TSN with separate high-importance and low-importance segments, utilizing a border network element to remap and prioritize data streams based on priority labels, ensuring that critical data streams take precedence over less critical ones, even in congested areas, while maintaining existing segment configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual configuration is used for TSN integration, then configuration accuracy can be ensured, but configuration complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-configuration by automatically detecting network topology, identifying segments, and setting border network elements without manual intervention. The automated configuration process maintains accuracy while eliminating the complexity and time consumption of manual setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts configuration parameters based on detected network conditions and segment characteristics. By automatically modifying parameters such as priority labels and border element assignments, the system achieves accurate configuration without manual complexity.
2Ease of operation
If priority labels are uniformly applied across all segments, then configuration simplicity is maintained, but data stream delivery reliability in congested areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different priority label assignments to different network segments based on their specific characteristics and importance. Border network elements remap priority labels locally at segment boundaries, ensuring that critical data streams receive appropriate priority treatment in congested areas while maintaining overall configuration simplicity.
3Reliability
If existing segment configurations are altered to improve critical data delivery, then delivery reliability improves, but network stability and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Border network elements act as intermediaries that remap priority labels between segments without requiring changes to the internal configurations of existing segments. This intermediary approach improves critical data delivery reliability while maintaining the stability and independence of existing segment configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method (100) for operating a time-sensitive network, TSN (1), wherein this TSN comprises at least a first, high-importance segment (1a) and a second, low-importance segment (1b), such that traffic within the first segment (1a) on the one hand and traffic within the second segment (1b) on the other hand pass through different sets of physical links (2a-2b; 2c-2e) in the TSN (1), the first segment (1a) is connected to a first port (4a) of a border network element (4) that connects the first (1a) and second (1b) segments, and the second segment (1b) is connected to a second port (4b) of this border network element (4), the method (100) comprising the steps of: • remapping (130), on the border network element (4), using TSN per-port priority regeneration, priority labels (6a-6g) attached to data streams (5a-5g) received on the first port (4a) and the second port (4b) to updated priority labels (6a*-6g*), such that no data stream (5a-5c) originally received on the first port (4a) has the same updated priority label (6a*-6g*) as any data stream (5d-5g) originally received on the second port (4b); • splitting (140), on the border network element (4), the data streams (5a-5g) into a "preempting" class (7a) and a "preemptable" class (7b) based on a mapping from updated priority labels (6a*-6g*) to classes (7a, 7b); and • forwarding (150) the data streams (5a-5g) from the border network element (4) to at least one next-hop network element (8), wherein, at least in case of congestion on a link (2f) to the next-hop network element (8), the forwarding of "preempting" data streams (5a-5g) takes precedence over the forwarding of "preemptable" data streams (5a-5g).