VRRP Master Router Selection Using Priority Policies
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) lacks control and management capabilities, particularly in selecting a master router based on criteria such as availability and priority, leading to inefficient backup router selection and limited responsiveness to management messages when a non-owner router takes over.
Innovation Solution
An enhanced virtual router redundancy protocol that uses priority control policies and values to determine which backup router becomes the master, allowing for adjustments based on network conditions and events, enabling non-owner routers to respond to management messages and override initial priority settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-owner router takes over as master router for a virtual router identifier, then data routing continuity is maintained, but the router cannot respond to management-oriented messages sent to the associated IP address
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual IP address as an intermediary that decouples the management function from the data routing function. The virtual IP address is associated with the virtual router identifier but is not owned by any single physical router. When a non-owner router becomes master, it can respond to management messages sent to the virtual IP address, while still maintaining data routing continuity through the virtual router mechanism.
2Reliability
If VRRP selects a backup non-owner router as master router, then failover redundancy is achieved, but the selection process does not consider network conditions or router availability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the master router selection process dynamic by introducing priority values that can be adjusted based on network conditions and router availability. Instead of a static failover mechanism, the system can dynamically select which non-owner router becomes master based on real-time conditions, improving both reliability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of router priority from a fixed value to an adjustable parameter that reflects network conditions. By modifying priority values based on availability and performance metrics, the system can adaptively select the most suitable master router while maintaining failover redundancy.
3Reliability
If only owner routers can respond to management-oriented protocols, then IP address ownership is maintained, but system administrators cannot test connectivity to gateway using standard tools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the virtual IP address universal by allowing any master router (including non-owner routers) to respond to management messages sent to it. This multi-functional approach allows the virtual IP address to serve both as a data routing gateway and as a responsive endpoint for management protocols like ICMP ping, enabling connectivity testing while maintaining IP ownership semantics.
Data Source
AI summary
An enhanced virtual router redundancy protocol for manipulating master router selection within a network is disclosed. The use of a priority control policy and priority values take into account conditions and events that may distinguish the desirability of one router over another. Explicit priority values may be specified to indicate the explicit priority of a particular router instance. Delta priority values may also be used to decrement or increment a base priority for a particular router instance. By using priority control policies and priority values to select a master, improved control, management, and manipulation of virtual router instances over a particular IP core network interface are enabled.