Virtual Network Troubleshooting via Logical Path Traversal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual network forwarding engines with thousands of logical routers and ports complicate troubleshooting due to network reachability issues, as traditional CLI interfaces provide insufficient information for identifying relevant logical entities, requiring significant human labor to diagnose issues.
Innovation Solution
A method that retrieves network data from virtual network forwarding engines to identify paths by traversing logical networks based on source and destination identifiers, emulating packet forwarding operations to report traversed logical nodes, and providing detailed information through a user interface, allowing navigation and selection of logical ports for further analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional CLI interfaces are used to troubleshoot virtual network forwarding engines, then the interface structure remains simple, but troubleshooting efficiency deteriorates due to insufficient information for identifying relevant logical entities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the troubleshooting information by organizing it into hierarchical levels: logical network level (logical routers, logical switches, logical ports), physical network level (physical routers, physical switches, physical ports), and packet traversal level (packet captures, flow statistics). This segmentation allows administrators to navigate from high-level logical entities down to detailed packet-level information, improving troubleshooting efficiency without overwhelming the user with all information at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to traditional CLI interfaces by introducing multi-level hierarchical navigation. Instead of a flat structure, it creates vertical layers (logical network → physical network → packet traversal) and horizontal associations (associations between logical and physical entities). This dimensional expansion provides comprehensive information while maintaining interface manageability.
2Loss of information
If detailed information about all logical entities is provided to improve troubleshooting capability, then information completeness improves, but interface complexity and difficulty of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments comprehensive troubleshooting information into organized hierarchical groups: logical network entities (logical routers, logical switches, logical ports with their properties), physical network entities (physical routers, physical switches, physical ports), and packet traversal data (captures, statistics). This segmentation presents complete information in a structured manner that is easier to navigate than an unorganized dump of all data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization and association of logical and physical entities before presentation to the user. It pre-establishes the hierarchical relationships and cross-level associations (e.g., which logical ports map to which physical ports, packet traversal paths through logical entities). This preliminary structuring reduces the cognitive load on administrators during actual troubleshooting operations.
3Loss of time
If manual identification of logical entities is required to troubleshoot network issues, then system complexity remains low, but human labor investment and troubleshooting time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds hierarchical and associative dimensions to the troubleshooting system, creating multiple levels of abstraction (logical network, physical network, packet traversal) and establishing relationships between them. This dimensional enhancement automates the identification process by providing structured navigation paths, reducing manual search time while the added complexity is managed through systematic organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary hierarchical structure that mediates between the complex virtual network forwarding engine and the administrator. This intermediary layer organizes entities into logical groups, establishes associations between logical and physical entities, and provides structured navigation paths, thereby reducing the time administrators spend identifying relevant entities while managing system complexity through organized intermediation.
Data Source
AI summary
A novel method for troubleshooting a logical network is provided. The logical network has logical forwarding elements operating inside virtual network forwarding engines. The method receives a source identifier and a destination identifier that correspond to nodes in the logical network. The method then retrieves a set of network data from a virtual network forwarding engine and identifies a path in the logical network by traversing the logical network according to the retrieved set of network data. This traversal starts at an initial network node that is identified by the source identifier and continues through a set of next-hop network nodes that are each identified based on the destination identifier. At least some of the network nodes are logical ports associated with logical forwarding elements implemented by the virtual network forwarding engine. The method then reports the set of traversed logical nodes.