Inter-provider VPN Path Identification via Aggregated Routing Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of discovering and managing connections between a service provider and a customer edge router in inter-provider virtual private networks, especially when there is no direct connectivity, makes it difficult to identify failed links in the logical path.
Innovation Solution
A network management system that facilitates the discovery and visualization of inter-provider virtual private network paths by identifying provider edge routers, customer edge routers, and autonomous system paths, using protocols like BGP and MPLS, to monitor and manage links across multiple service providers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If inter-provider virtual private network connections are established through intermediate service providers, then service coverage is extended to geographical regions without direct connectivity, but link failure identification becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that collects and correlates routing information from multiple service providers. This intermediary mechanism enables the detection of link failures in inter-provider VPN paths by aggregating routing data from intermediate service providers, thus resolving the difficulty of identifying failures without direct connectivity while preserving extended service coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where routing information is continuously collected from service providers and used to monitor the health of VPN paths. By establishing feedback loops that report routing changes and link status back to the management system, the patent enables automatic detection of link failures in complex inter-provider topologies
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If direct connectivity is maintained between service provider and customer edge router, then link failure identification is simplified, but service coverage is limited to regions with direct presence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network monitoring function into distributed components at each service provider and a centralized coordination system. This segmentation allows each provider to independently report routing information while the central system correlates data to identify failures, enabling simplified failure detection in regions without direct service provider presence
3Loss of information
If routing information is collected from multiple service providers, then visibility of inter-provider VPN paths is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal routing information collection mechanism that works across multiple service providers using standard protocols. This multi-functional approach allows the same system architecture to collect, correlate, and analyze routing data from diverse providers, improving path visibility without proportionally increasing system complexity through standardization
Data Source
AI summary
An inter-provider virtual provider network path is identified by identifying a provider network provider edge router having a provider edge interface serving, obtaining routing information from the provider edge router, identifying, from the routing information, a remote customer edge interface of a customer edge router connected to the provider edge router by an intermediate service provider, and identifying the path and associated links between the identified provider edge interface and the identified remote customer edge interface.