WCMP Group Updates via Preliminary Action

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional network routing techniques, such as WCMP, face challenges in updating multipath tables efficiently due to high hardware table access costs, leading to slow route convergence and traffic loss during topology changes and traffic demand fluctuations.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced to minimize the reduction of existing WCMP groups in a multipath table by using algorithms to identify and reduce the least impactful groups, releasing storage space for new groups while minimizing network throughput impact and hardware table updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If WCMP groups are updated using conventional methods, then routing adaptability is improved, but hardware table access cost increases and processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting adaptabilityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-calculates and stores the minimum number of WCMP groups that need to be reduced before adding new groups to the multipath table. This preliminary computation avoids the need for complex real-time calculations during actual WCMP group updates, thereby reducing hardware table access operations and processing time while maintaining routing adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If WCMP groups are updated using conventional methods, then routing adaptability is improved, but hardware table access cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting adaptabilityVSAvoidhardware table access cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-computes the minimum number of WCMP groups to reduce before inserting new groups, storing this information in advance. This eliminates the need for complex real-time queries and iterations during actual updates, significantly reducing the number of hardware table access operations required while preserving full routing adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If the multipath table is almost full, then routing capacity is maximized, but adding new WCMP groups requires reducing existing groups which increases processing complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting capacityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-calculates the minimum number of WCMP groups that must be reduced to accommodate new groups, even when the multipath table is nearly full. This preliminary action provides a clear, predetermined reduction plan that simplifies the update process, avoiding complex real-time decision-making while maintaining maximum routing capacity utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9479437B1Efficient updates of weighted cost multipath (WCMP) groups

Publication Date: 2016.10.25 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

Exemplary embodiments provide changes to routing schemes, i.e. WCMP groups or WCMP sets, installed in a network traffic distribution table, e.g. multipath table. WCMP groups of a multipath table are updated to accommodate a new WCMP group. This can be achieved by reducing the size of the existing WCMP groups on the multipath table. The goal is to reduce the existing WCMP groups just enough to make room for the new WCMP group. An objective is to minimize the number of existing WCMP groups to be reduced before a new WCMP group can be installed in the multipath table.