Virtual Switch Frame Encapsulation for Cloud Network Memory Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of virtual machines in cloud networks leads to significant memory space requirements for edge network elements, resulting in high memory costs for storing MAC addresses, as conventional methods require each network element to record all virtual machine addresses.
Innovation Solution
A network communication system is implemented with virtual switches that encapsulate and forward frames, reducing the need for edge network elements to store MAC addresses of all virtual machines, allowing only the virtual switch's address to be recorded, thereby reducing memory space and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If edge network elements record MAC addresses of all virtual machines, then network communication reliability is improved, but memory space requirements and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual switch as an intermediary component between virtual machines and physical switches. The virtual switch maintains the MAC address forwarding table, while physical switches only need to forward frames based on virtual switch addresses. This intermediary approach allows the system to maintain communication reliability through proper address forwarding while significantly reducing the memory burden on physical network elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the address forwarding functionality between two layers: the virtual switch layer (which maintains complete MAC address tables) and the physical switch layer (which only needs to forward to virtual switch addresses). This segmentation allows each component to have appropriately sized memory, with the virtual machine address forwarding table being maintained at the virtual switch rather than distributed across all physical switches.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of virtual machines increases, then cloud network functionality is improved, but memory costs for network elements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual switch acts as a mediator that absorbs the memory cost of tracking all virtual machine addresses. Physical switches only need to maintain addresses for virtual switches, not individual virtual machines. This allows the cloud network to scale in functionality by adding virtual machines without proportionally increasing memory costs at the physical network element level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a logical copy of the address forwarding function at the virtual switch layer, which then appears as a single addressable entity to physical switches. This copying approach allows multiple virtual machines to be represented through a single virtual switch address from the perspective of physical network elements, thereby reducing memory requirements while maintaining full virtual machine functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A network communication system comprises a cloud network and at least one physical machine. The cloud network comprises at least one physical switch. Each the physical machine comprises a plurality of virtual machines and a virtual switch. Each of the virtual machines is connected to the at least one physical switch in the cloud network through the virtual switch. The virtual switch encapsulates a destination machine address of an egress frame sent by the virtual machines, attaches a destination switch address to the egress frame to be forwarded to the at least one physical switch, and receives and analyzes an ingress frame obtained from the at least one physical switch, so as to convert the destination switch address of the ingress frame to the destination machine address, for forwarding the ingress frame to one of the virtual machines.