Virtual Router System Using Shared Routing Processor Servers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual router implementations are mainly confined to medium/high-end routers, resulting in high costs and insufficient numbers of virtual devices, failing to meet the demand for low-cost virtual routers, especially in medium/low-end applications.
Innovation Solution
A virtual router system utilizing one or more routers and routing processor servers, where each router includes interface modules with packet processing and forwarding capabilities, and routing processor servers with multiple processors, enabling one-to-one correspondence for efficient routing processing, allowing for the implementation of multiple virtual routers even on low-end hardware by using external routing processor servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual routers are implemented using medium/high-end routers, then routing performance and reliability are improved, but cost increases and the number of virtual devices is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the router into two independent parts: interface modules (handling packet forwarding) and routing processors (handling routing logic). This allows the routing processor to be virtualized and shared across multiple virtual routers, while interface modules can be implemented using low-cost hardware. The segmentation enables medium/low-end routers to support multiple virtual routers by sharing the routing processor function.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing processor server is designed to serve multiple virtual routers simultaneously, making it a universal resource that can be shared across different virtual network instances. One routing processor can manage multiple virtual routing tables and serve multiple virtual routers, reducing the need for dedicated high-performance hardware for each virtual router.
2Reliability
If virtual routers are implemented using medium/high-end routers, then routing capabilities are improved, but the number of virtual devices obtained is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple virtual routing functions into a single routing processor server. Instead of requiring separate high-performance routers for each virtual router, multiple virtual routing instances are combined and managed by one shared routing processor, enabling a large number of virtual devices to be created from limited physical hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing processor can create and manage multiple copies of virtual routing tables and routing logic in software, allowing numerous virtual routers to be instantiated without duplicating physical hardware. Each virtual router gets a software-based copy of the routing functionality, enabling scalable deployment of many virtual devices.
3Speed
If interface modules are equipped with multiple FIBs and routing processors, then routing performance is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the routing processor function from the interface module and places it in a separate, shared server. This removes the need for each interface module to have its own dedicated routing processor and multiple FIBs, simplifying the interface module design while maintaining routing performance through the shared routing processor server that manages all routing tables centrally.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a virtual router system and a method for implementing virtual routers. The virtual router system includes: one or more routers and one or more routing processor servers. Each router includes one or more interface modules. Each interface module includes: at least one packet processing functional module, a forwarding module and one or more forwarding tables. One or more physical interfaces of the interface module or one or more sub-interfaces of the one or more physical interfaces are assigned to different virtual routers. One-to-one correspondence exists between each physical interface or sub-interface and related virtual router. Each routing processor servers include multiple routing processors. One-to-one correspondence exists between each routing processor and related virtual router. Each routing processor is configured to execute the routing processing function of the corresponding virtual router. The present invention can flexibly implement virtual routers at low cost.