UDP Packet Encapsulation for Cloud VPN Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Delivering UDP packets across distributed data centers via cloud VPNs is challenging due to infrastructure limitations in knowing IP and network identifiers across regions, leading to packets not reaching intended destinations, and resource-intensive one-to-one mapping connections.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves encapsulating UDP packets with headers that identify destination servers and data centers, using DTLS or TLS channels, and routing them through cloud VPNs with lookup tables to ensure accurate delivery across multiple regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If one-to-one mapping connections are established between clients and servers in distributed data centers, then network communication reliability is improved, but resource consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple UDP packets into a single encapsulated packet by combining multiple destination addresses into one packet. This reduces the number of separate connections and resource allocations needed, thereby lowering resource consumption while maintaining reliable communication through the unified encapsulated packet structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulated UDP packet structure is designed to handle multiple destinations simultaneously, making a single packet type universal for various routing scenarios. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain reliable communication across distributed data centers without requiring separate specialized connection mechanisms for each destination.
2Reliability
If cloud VPN infrastructure is used to route UDP packets across distributed data centers, then network communication integrity is maintained, but the infrastructure cannot know IP and network identifiers across regions leading to packet delivery failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by encapsulating the original UDP packet (containing destination information) within a new packet structure that includes additional routing headers. This nested structure allows the cloud VPN infrastructure to route packets based on outer headers while preserving the original destination information inside, solving the problem of infrastructure unawareness across regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulated packet structure acts as an intermediary that carries destination information through the cloud VPN infrastructure. The additional headers and routing information embedded in the encapsulated packet enable intermediate nodes to correctly forward packets across regional boundaries without requiring the infrastructure to inherently know all IP identifiers.
3Measurement precision
If UDP packets are encapsulated with headers identifying destination servers and data centers, then packet routing accuracy is improved, but packet size and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The routing information is segmented into distinct header fields within the encapsulated packet, with each segment serving a specific routing function. This segmentation allows for systematic processing where each header field can be evaluated independently, reducing overall processing complexity despite the increased information content.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation process performs preliminary routing preparation by pre-configuring the packet with destination identifiers and routing headers before transmission. This preliminary action reduces the complexity of real-time routing decisions at intermediate nodes, as the routing information is already organized and ready for processing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present solution provides systems and methods for supporting network communication, including UDP network communication, between clients and servers at data centers, over a cloud VPN. An agent can receive a user datagram protocol (UDP) packet. The agent can generate a header for the UDP packet identifying a destination server at a data center of a plurality of data centers. The agent can establish a channel to a virtual private network (VPN) server of a cloud-based VPN as a service. The agent can encapsulate the UDP packet using the header and transmit, via the channel, the encapsulated UDP packet to the VPN server, the encapsulated UDP packet configured to identify the data center according to a table of the VPN server and content of the header.