Zone Routing X Controller for Scalable Network Migration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current routing technologies, such as Segment Routing, require complex controller-node interactions and hardware upgrades, leading to scalability limitations and service interruptions during network migration.
Innovation Solution
The Zone Routing-X (ZR-X) scheme allows a ZR controller to communicate with a configurable number of edge and internal nodes, simplifying interactions by using a single local label for packet forwarding, reducing hardware upgrades and service interruptions, and enabling easy network migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Segment Routing is implemented, then routing flexibility is improved, but controller-node interaction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network into zones with zone border routers that aggregate routing information. This segmentation reduces the complexity of controller-node interactions by allowing zone border routers to handle local routing decisions while the controller manages inter-zone routing, thus maintaining routing flexibility while reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Zone border routers act as intermediaries between the controller and internal network nodes. They translate and aggregate routing information, reducing the direct interaction complexity between the controller and numerous network nodes while preserving routing flexibility through the intermediary layer
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional routing migration is performed, then network functionality is improved, but service interruptions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The controller pre-computes and distributes routing tables to zone border routers before migration is needed. This preliminary action allows the network to switch routing paths without service interruptions, as the routing information is already prepared and available when migration occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous routing functionality during migration by keeping multiple routing paths available and using traffic engineering to smoothly transition between paths. The zone border routers continuously update routing information without interrupting service, ensuring uninterrupted network operation
3Productivity
If comprehensive hardware upgrades are implemented, then network performance is improved, but migration difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller automatically generates, distributes, and manages routing tables to zone border routers without requiring manual hardware configuration. This self-service approach simplifies migration by eliminating complex manual setup procedures while still achieving performance improvements through automated routing optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent improves network performance by changing routing parameters and policies through software rather than requiring hardware upgrades. The controller adjusts routing metrics, bandwidth allocations, and path selections to optimize performance while avoiding the complexity of physical hardware migration
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for zone routing comprising a transmitter coupled to one or more communication nodes in a network, wherein the communication nodes correspond to less than all edge nodes of the network, a receiver coupled to the communication nodes, and a processor coupled to the transmitter and the receiver, wherein the processor is configured to compute a first path for a label-switched path (LSP) through the network, wherein the first path extends from an ingress node of the edge nodes to an egress node of the edge nodes, obtain a second path that traverses through a first communication node of the communication nodes available to the egress node, and send, via the transmitter, a first LSP creation request message to the first communication node requesting creation of the LSP along the first path.