Virtual Route Reflector SLA Path Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise networks face challenges in maintaining Quality of Experience (QoE) for services like video delivery due to issues such as latency, delay, jitter, and packet loss, which existing technologies struggle to address effectively in a dynamic and scalable manner.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of techniques that allow for the selection of paths in a computer network based on service level agreements (SLAs) by using virtual route reflectors to add path communities to route advertisements, ensuring that traffic is forwarded over links that meet specific quality criteria, and enabling dynamic path switching when QoE degradation occurs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional routing protocols are used without SLA-based path selection, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is maintained, but Quality of Experience (QoE) parameters such as latency, delay, jitter, and packet loss cannot be effectively controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual route reflector (VRR) as an intermediary component that sits between traditional routing protocols and the path selection process. The VRR receives route advertisements, adds SLA-based path communities to indicate quality characteristics, and reflects these enhanced routes to routing protocols. This mediator approach allows QoE control without requiring changes to core routing protocol logic, thus improving reliability while limiting complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the routing control function into separate components: traditional routing protocols handle basic connectivity, while the VRR handles SLA-based path selection by adding path community attributes to route advertisements. This segmentation allows each component to focus on its specific function, improving overall QoE control while keeping individual component complexity manageable.
2Reliability
If SLA-based path selection is implemented using virtual route reflectors, then Quality of Experience (QoE) is improved through dynamic path switching, but device complexity increases due to additional routing control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual route reflector is designed to handle multiple functions: it operates as a standard route reflector for basic routing, adds SLA path communities to routes, monitors link state measurements, and performs dynamic path switching. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single VRR component, the patent improves service quality consistency while limiting the increase in overall device complexity compared to implementing separate systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The VRR autonomously monitors link state measurements and automatically adds appropriate path communities to route advertisements based on current network conditions. This self-service capability allows the system to adapt to changing QoE requirements without manual intervention, improving service quality consistency while reducing the operational complexity burden.
3Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic path switching is implemented based on link state measurements, then adaptability to network conditions is improved, but measurement and monitoring requirements increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The VRR acts as an intermediary that centralizes link state measurement and monitoring functions. Instead of requiring multiple routers to independently monitor and interpret link states, the VRR consolidates these measurements and translates them into path community attributes. This approach improves adaptability to network conditions while reducing the overall difficulty of detection and measurement by centralizing the complexity in a single component.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques are described for selecting paths in accordance with service level agreements. For example, spoke and hub routers may advertise routes associated with virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instances mapped to service level agreements (SLAs). A virtual route reflector of an intermediate router may receive route advertisements and may add respective path communities associated with particular links selected based on link state measurements in accordance with the SLAs. The hub or spoke routers may receive the route advertisements including a respective path community and install the selected path as a next-hop for a given SLA. In this way, spoke and hub routers may forward traffic on links that satisfy particular SLAs such that Quality of Experience (QoE) for an application may be restored or improved.