TW202133588A - Path quality report method crossed over multiple centralized control plane - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a path quality return method crossed over multiple centralized control plane for tracking the quality of the path through which data flows across multiple network domains and assisting network managers and their network management applications to analyze Domains and devices where path obstacles or bottlenecks occur for more efficient troubleshooting. The advantages of the centralized control planes having a global view of their respective networks and the characteristics of the switches connected to each other is full used by the present invention, and sends the test results back to the controller that initiated the test to obtain path quality information across the network domain.

Description

Path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes

The present invention relates to the technology of network quality detection, and in particular refers to a path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes.

In traditional networks, in addition to forwarding packets, switches and routers also need to determine the path through which the packets of the data stream are delivered to the destination. The control plane responsible for determining routing rules and learning network information is scattered across the switches. And the router. Because of its decentralized control plane, traditional networks need an orchestrator to assist in collaborative work in order to provide effective network management tools for network managers to track and debug.

When there is a problem with the network or when network information needs to be obtained due to maintenance, if no collaborator (orchestrator) exists, the network administrator can only actively obtain and analyze the logs of each device. When the network scale exceeds a certain level, the log quantity of the switch will be difficult to analyze, and the network administrator cannot obtain the required network information in real time. In addition, since network administrators cannot determine the path of the packet, they can only analyze the logs of all switches and routers.

The most commonly used network debugging tools in traditional networks include traceroute and ping. The working principle of Traceroute is to sequentially throw out the Internet with different Time to Live (TTL) values. The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) requires packets to obtain the information of each router on the path through the ICMP timeout packets received. However, the disadvantage of Traceroute is that it cannot obtain complete information on the path, such as switches and chains. The state of the knot. In addition, the operating principle of Ping is to send an ICMP echo request to the target host, and calculate the packet loss rate and round-trip time based on the number of response packets received. However, the disadvantage of Ping is that it can obtain less network information, and it is difficult to base it on it. The result is debugged.

Some network architectures, such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN), provide a centralized control plane, which separates the control plane of the switch from the forwarding plane, allowing the network administrator to control the network The routing rules of the switch and the ability to read various counter values on the switch for network status monitoring. However, although this type of controller has information about the network it controls, it generally lacks knowledge of other network domains. As long as the data flow leaves the control network, it will not be able to know where the network bottlenecks and obstacles occur. , There is not enough information to track, report and improve. This problem also occurs in large companies with multiple independent branches, personnel organizations, and network controllers.

In 2014, IBM released an SDN traceroute based on the implementation of the SDN architecture. SDN traceroute will send detection packets to the origin switch to be tested, and use the programmable features of the SDN switch to make a copy of the detection packet every time it flows through a link and send it back to the SDN controller to report the status, thereby confirming the packet The complete path information that flows through the network. However, SDN traceroute assumes that certain fields in the packet header (header) can be reserved for return detection packets, and all components and network management applications in the network are prohibited from using this field. This approach is impractical. In addition, The number of bits that can be used in the packet header is limited. As a result, the detection packet and the general packet may correspond to the same label. If there is a packet with the same header as the detection packet in the network, the SDN traceroute will not be able to measure it correctly. Measure the path.

In 2016, Shanghai Jiaotong University in China published Netography based on the implementation of SDN architecture. The mechanism of Netography is to first modify all flow table entries on the SDN switch, and then send a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) detection packet with a special PCP field to the network, and detect the packet When flowing through each switch in the managed network domain, it will be changed into a two-layer VLAN Q-in-Q packet. The ID of each node and the flow table entry number compared to the comparison are recorded in the VLAN ID column Bits and pass back to the SDN controller for analysis. The problem with this approach is that the entire management and control network equipment is prohibited from using the VLAN field, which is severely mutually exclusive with the use of existing networks and terminal equipment. In addition, the practice of modifying all flow table rules is practically due to maintainability and It is difficult to implement due to authority issues.

The Chinese Patent No. 201406114 "Translated Communication Period Information Used to Supply Network Paths" published on February 1, 2014 refers to a system and method that will receive data corresponding to a server SESSION INFORMATION of the connected communication period, and will translate the communication period information into translated communication period information including a topology layout parameter and a data parameter. The translated communication period information is to guide a control The device supplies a network path based on the translated communication period information, and the network path is compliant with the topology layout parameters and data parameters. However, the patent case is not efficient for troubleshooting.

The patent case CN103997432 No. "Measuring system and method for supporting analysis of OpenFlow application performance" published on August 20, 2014 refers to a measurement system and method that supports quantitative analysis of OpenFlow application performance. The case is based on an OpenFlow network. And a measurement server. The OpenFlow network includes a controller and n switches respectively connected to the controller. The n switches accept the OpenFlow control of the controller, and the controller and n switches expand the local log function and clock. After the synchronization function, it becomes the measurement entity and the measurement server set The characteristics of the medium control include: no centralized performance bottleneck, and the measurement itself has little interference to network applications; it can fully obtain the data plane and control plane information; it can obtain the interactive relationship between the control plane and the data plane. However, the patent case cannot obtain cross-domain path quality information through a centralized control plane, and the implementation efficiency is not good.

The patent case of China's patent No. I591983 "Path status report algorithm based on centralized control plane" announced on July 11, 2017, which sends inspection packets that simulate the data stream to be inspected, and then recycles the network one by one. The path status report returned when the component receives the inspection packet can track the actual path through which the data stream flows, and fill in the identification information in the packet payload, which can be correct without restricting the use and modification of the packet header However, the path state report algorithm based on the centralized control plane lacks knowledge of other network domains. As long as the data flow leaves the control network, it is impossible to know the occurrence of network bottlenecks and obstacles. It is not a good way to have enough information to track, report and improve.

In summary, the control plane of a traditional network is dispersed in various network components, and the packet forwarding rules are determined by each switch or router after exchanging network information with each other. The path status report based on the centralized control plane is limited by the scope of the controlled network and lacks knowledge of other network domains. As long as the data flow leaves the controlled network, it is impossible to know the bottleneck and obstacles of the network. At the point of occurrence, there is not enough information for tracking, reporting and improvement. Therefore, when there is a problem in the network, there is a lack of effective cross-domain path quality inspection tools for network managers to track the cross-domain path quality of the packet for debugging.

Therefore, if a network quality detection mechanism can be found, especially the quality information of the cross-domain path through which the data flow can be traced, this will become the goal of those skilled in the art who are eager to pursue solutions.

The present invention provides a path quality reporting mechanism to track the quality of the path that data flows across multiple network domains traverse, and assist network managers and their network management applications to analyze the network domains and equipment where path obstacles or bottlenecks occur , In order to troubleshoot more efficiently. The design of the present invention focuses on the cooperation with the centralized control plane of other network domains, and can cooperate with the network controller supporting the same method to check to form a cross-domain path quality inspection tool, and supports non-collaborators (orchestrator) Network architecture with any number of domains and switches.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention proposes a path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes. The method includes: the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection generates a simulation based on the data stream to be inspected. The detection packet of the actual packet to detect the actual path that the data flow traverses in the network; send the detection packet to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection, so as to initiate the inspection through the inspection packet The report of the network equipment in the network controlled by the centralized control plane performs path inspection; the inspection packet enters the network controlled by at least one of the other centralized control planes that also support the path inspection During the road, perform the cooperation between the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation and at least one of the other centralized control planes to perform cross-domain path detection; make at least one of the other centralized control planes to receive After the report of the network equipment in the network under its control, a cross-domain report packet with path inspection information is generated to forward the cross-domain report packet to the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, so that the initiation The centralized control plane of the survey obtains cross-domain path quality information; and reports the actual path and path quality status of the data stream.

In the above method, the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection will generate a detection packet that simulates the actual packet based on the data flow to be detected, so as to detect the actual path through which the data flow flows in the network. The system includes the following sub-steps: read the network manager or network management application Provide the information of the data stream to be detected to obtain the information of the data stream; generate the header field of the detection packet based on the information of the data stream, so that all network devices can forward it with the same routing rules; And a payload with special keywords and information required for detection is generated in the detection packet.

In the above method, the detection packet is sent to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, so as to use the network equipment in the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection The step of path inspection for the report includes the following sub-steps: sending the inspection packet to the origin switch of the data stream; and making the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection wait to receive the report from the origin switch Check the packet and record the report time, and then pass the check packet to the next switch according to the routing rules for subsequent detection. In addition, it includes judging whether the detection time has reached the upper limit, so that when the detection time has reached the upper limit, the report is executed, or when the detection time has not reached the upper limit, it continues to wait to receive the origin switch or the next switch The return.

In the above method, when the detection packet enters a network controlled by at least one of the other centralized control planes that also supports the path detection, the centralized control plane that initiated the detection and the other centralized control plane are executed. The step of cooperating with at least one of the control planes to perform cross-domain path detection includes the following sub-steps: so that at least one of the other centralized control planes will receive the first detection packet The remote switch and the port are marked as the boundary switch and the boundary port of the path inspection; and at least one of the other centralized control planes waits for and receives the detection reported by the first remote switch Packet and record the report time, and then pass the detection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules for subsequent detection.

In the above method, after at least one of the other centralized control planes receives the report from the network equipment in the network under its control, it generates a cross-domain report seal with path survey information Packet to forward the cross-domain report packet to the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, so that the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection obtains the cross-domain path quality information. The steps include the following sub-steps: in the other centralized When at least one of the control planes generates the cross-domain report packet, make the source and destination values of the header field of the cross-domain report packet opposite to the detection packet, and make the cross-domain report The payload of the packet carries a special keyword and the path search information; and the cross-domain report packet is sent back along the data plane to the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection through the boundary port of the boundary switch. The controlled network enables the centralized control plane that initiated the survey to obtain the cross-domain path quality information.

In the foregoing method, if the non-initiating centralized control plane receives the cross-domain report packet, the non-initiating centralized control plane will pass the cross-domain report packet with the path inspection information through the non-initiating centralized control plane The boundary port of the boundary switch of the network where the centralized control plane under investigation is located is sent back to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation.

In the aforementioned method, the path inspection information records the remote path quality inspection information obtained when each remote switch reports the inspection packet to the other centralized control plane.

In the above method, the step of reporting the actual path and path quality status of the data stream includes reporting to the network manager the actual path and path of the data stream analyzed according to the report of the network component during the detection phase Quality status, or the network manager reads periodic report information and path quality status during the inspection process.

In the above method, the actual path and path quality status of the data stream include the actual path, the link delay of each segment, the total path delay, or the packet loss rate.

In the above method, the method further includes checking whether the actual path through which the detection packet flows is consistent with the calculation result through a routing application program to confirm whether the path constructed for the detection packet is successful.

In summary, the present invention proposes a path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes to track the cross-domain path quality information through which the data stream flows. Compared with traditional ping and traceroute, the present invention can report complete network information to the network administrator. Compared with SDN traceroute and Netography, the present invention does not limit other network management programs and terminal devices to the packet header. Use and modification. Furthermore, the present invention can cooperate with network controllers that support the same method to form a cross-domain path quality detection tool, and supports network architecture without orchestrator and any number of domains and switches. , Provide a more complete quality analysis and obstacle removal capabilities.

11: Creation phase

12: Detection stage

13: Cross-domain detection phase

14: Cross-domain return phase

15: Payback phase

111-113: Process

121-124: Process

131-132: Process

141-143: Process

151: Process

21, 22: Internet

31, 32, 33: domain

210, 310: Starting point switch

220, 320, 330: boundary switch

211-216: Process

221-224: Process

311: process

321-324: Process

331-334: Process

S11~S15: steps

Please refer to the following detailed description of the present invention and its accompanying drawings to further understand the technical content of the present invention and its objectives and effects. The relevant drawings are described as follows.

Figure 1 is a step diagram of the path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a flow chart of implementing the method of path quality reporting that can span multiple centralized control planes of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the detection packet delivery process of the present invention working in cooperation with a remote control plane.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the detection packet delivery process of the present invention working in cooperation with multiple remote control planes.

In the following, the technical content of the present invention will be explained through specific specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. However, the present invention can also be implemented or applied by other different specific embodiments.

Because the control plane of the traditional network is scattered among various network components, the path status report based on the centralized control plane is limited by the range of the network under control, lacking knowledge of other network domains, and it is difficult to develop effective cross-network domains. Path quality inspection tool to track the quality of the cross-domain path that the packet passes.

The present invention proposes a path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes. Through collaborative inspection with a network controller supporting the same method, cross-domain path quality information can be obtained to assist network managers and their The network management application analyzes the network domains and devices where path barriers or bottlenecks occur, so as to troubleshoot more efficiently. The method of the present invention can support an orchestrator-free architecture and any number of network domains and switches. In addition, considering the existing network and terminal equipment usage scenarios and practical maintainability and authority issues, the present invention Write the inspection results in the payload, and use the centralized control plane to have the advantages of the global view of each network and the characteristics of the switch interconnection, and send the cross-domain inspection information back through the data plane. The controller that initiates the inspection is compatible with the existing network by simulating actual packets. Therefore, it can be well integrated with the control plane and equipment of other network domains.

Figure 1 is a step diagram of the path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes of the present invention.

In step S11, the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection is caused to generate a detection packet that simulates the actual packet according to the data flow to be detected, so as to detect the actual path of the data flow through the network. This step is the creation phase. The centralized control plane that initiates the inspection will generate a detection packet that simulates the actual packet based on the data flow to be detected, which is used to detect the actual path that the data flow travels through the network.

In step S12, the detection packet is sent to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, so as to use the network devices in the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection. The prepared report will be used for path inspection. This step is the detection phase. The detection packet is sent to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the detection, and the path is checked through the report of the network equipment.

In step S13, when the detection packet enters a network controlled by at least one of the other centralized control planes that also supports the path detection, the centralized control plane that initiated the detection and the other centralized control are executed Cooperation between at least one of the planes to perform cross-domain path detection. This step is the cross-domain detection phase. If the detected packet enters the network controlled by any other centralized control plane that supports this method, it will cooperate with other remote centralized control planes at this time. Cross-domain path detection.

In step S14, after at least one of the other centralized control planes receives the report from the network equipment in the network under its control, generates a cross-domain report packet with path detection information to forward the report The cross-domain report packet is sent to the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, so that the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection obtains the cross-domain path quality information. This step is the cross-domain reporting stage, which generates a cross-domain report packet with path survey information and forwards it back to the centralized control plane that initiated the survey, so that it can obtain cross-domain path quality information.

In step S15, the actual path and path quality status of the data stream are reported. This step is the reporting stage, which is mainly to report the actual path and path quality status of the data flow to the network manager.

It can be seen from the above that in the detection phase, the detection packet is sent to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the detection, and the path detection is performed through the report of the network equipment in the network. The cross-domain detection phase and the remote Centralized control plane cooperation, the cross-domain report stage generates a cross-domain report packet with path inspection information to be forwarded back to the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, and finally, the report stage reports the actual path and path of the data flow to the network manager Quality status, so that cross-domain path quality information can be obtained, which helps network managers analyze the domains and equipment where path barriers or bottlenecks occur, so as to troubleshoot more efficiently.

In one embodiment, step S11 includes reading the data stream information to be detected provided by the network administrator or network management application to obtain the information of the data stream; and generating the detection packet based on the information of the data stream The header field is used to enable all network devices to forward with the same routing rules; and a payload with special keywords and information required for detection is generated in the detection packet.

In one embodiment, step S12 includes sending the detection packet to the origin switch of the data stream; and making the centralized control plane that initiated the survey wait to receive the detection packet reported by the origin switch and record the report time , And then pass the detection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules for subsequent detection.

In addition, step S12 also includes determining whether the detection time has reached the upper limit, so that when the detection time has reached the upper limit, a report is executed, or when the detection time has not reached the upper limit, it continues to wait to receive the origin switch or the next switch. Exchanger's return.

In one embodiment, step S13 is to enable at least one of the other centralized control planes to mark the first remote switch and port that received the detection packet as the boundary switch and boundary of the path inspection Port; and make at least one of the other centralized control planes wait for and receive the detection packet reported by the first remote switch and record the reporting time, and then pass the detection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules Device for subsequent testing.

In one embodiment, step S14 is when at least one of the other centralized control planes generates the cross-domain report packet, making the header field of the cross-domain report packet one of the source end and the destination end The value is opposite to the detection packet, and the payload of the cross-domain report packet has special keywords and the path search information; and the cross-domain report packet passes through the border port of the border switch along the data The plane sends back the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation, so that the initiation The inspected centralized control plane obtains the cross-domain path quality information. The aforementioned path inspection information records the remote path quality inspection information obtained when each remote switch reports the inspection packet to the at least one other centralized control plane.

In step S14, if the cross-domain report packet received is a centralized control plane that does not initiate inspection, the non-initiated centralized control plane will pass the cross-domain report packet with the path inspection information through The boundary port of the boundary switch of the network where the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation is located is sent back to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation.

In one embodiment, step S15 includes reporting to the network manager the actual path and path quality status of the data stream analyzed according to the report of the network component during the detection phase, or the network manager in the detection process Read the periodic report information and path quality status. The aforementioned actual path and path quality status of the data stream include actual path, link delay of each segment, total path delay, or packet loss rate.

In addition, the present invention can check whether the actual path through which the detection packet flows is consistent with the calculation result through a routing application program, so as to confirm whether the path constructed for the detection packet is successful.

It can be seen from the above that the method of the present invention is cost-effective and focuses on the cooperation with the centralized control plane of other network domains, and can cooperate with the network controller supporting the same method to check and form a cross-domain path quality inspection tool. And it supports network architecture without orchestrator and any number of domains and switches. As the data basis for network self-optimization, it adopts a path quality return calculation mechanism that can span multiple centralized control planes, which can track and check the network domains and network nodes through which packets flow, and is applied to network administrators and network management The program provides more efficient quality analysis and obstacle removal capabilities, which can greatly reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expense (operating expense, OPEX).

Figure 2 is a flow chart of implementing the method of path quality reporting that can span multiple centralized control planes of the present invention. The present invention proposes a path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes. It will generate a detection packet based on the data stream to be detected, and then send the detection packet to the origin switch, through the network equipment and other network domains. The centralized control plane actively reports the results when receiving inspection packets to confirm the path quality of the specified data flow in the cross-domain network, as a judgment basis for network environment debugging. As shown in the figure, the detection process of the present invention is mainly divided into five stages, namely the creation stage 11, the detection stage 12, the cross-domain detection stage 13, the cross-domain return stage 14 and the return stage 15.

In the creation phase 11, the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection will first generate a detection packet that simulates the actual packet based on the data flow to be detected, which is used to detect the actual path of the data flow through the network. The creation stage 11 includes a process 111 for providing data stream information to be checked, a process 112 for generating a header of the detection packet, and a process 113 for generating a payload of the detection packet. First of all, in the process 111 of giving data flow information to be checked, the data flow information to be checked provided by the network administrator or network management application is read, including but not limited to source MAC, destination MAC, Source IP, destination IP, VLAN, and other information that can be used to identify packets. Then, in the header process 112 for generating the detection packet, the header field of the detection packet is generated according to the data flow information to be detected obtained in the previous process to ensure that the actual packet of the detection packet and the data flow to be detected has The same feature enables network equipment to forward with the same routing rules. Finally, in the ontology process 113 for generating the inspection packet, an ontology (payload) with a special keyword and information required for inspection is generated. The special keyword can be, for example, "CheckPacket", which can be used to distinguish the inspection packet from other possessions. For packets with the same header, the information required for detection can be filled in other information required by the path quality reporting method, including but not limited to task ID, sent controller name, sent switch ID, sending time and other information to increase Items to be inspected, internal Capacity and expansion flexibility. The above approach does not restrict the use of packet headers by other network management applications, and is more compatible with it.

After completing the creation of the detection packet, proceed to the detection stage 12, send the detection packet to the controlled network, and perform path inspection through the report of the network equipment. The detection stage 12 includes sending the detection packet to the origin switch Process 121, wait and receive the switch real-time report process 122, the detection packet enters the remote network domain judgment process 123, and the time limit judgment process 124. In the process 121 of sending inspection packets to the origin switch, the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection sends the inspection packets generated in the creation phase 11 to the origin switch of the data flow to be inspected, and then the centralized control plane that initiates inspection The control plane will wait and receive the switch's real-time report; the wait-and-receive switch real-time report process 122 is divided into two parts. The centralized control plane that initiates the inspection will wait to receive the detection packet reported by the switch and record the report time After receiving the detection packet, the switch actively transmits the detection packet back to the physical server where the method of the present invention is located, and then transmits the detection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules for subsequent detection; in the detection packet Entering the remote network domain judgment process 123 mainly determines whether the detection packet enters the remote network domain. If the detection packet leaves the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the detection, it enters at least one other supporting method of the present invention. In the network controlled by the centralized control plane, it will enter the cross-domain detection stage 13; finally, in the time limit determination process 124, it is mainly determined whether the detection time limit has been reached, if it is, it will enter the report stage 15, and vice versa , Then return to the waiting and receiving switch immediate report process 122, that is, wait for the return of the subsequent switch.

In the cross-domain detection stage 13, the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection will cooperate with the remote centralized control plane to perform cross-domain path detection. The cross-domain detection stage 13 includes marking the boundary switch process 131 and waiting and receiving The remote switch reports the process 132 in real time. In the label boundary switch process 131, it is detected that the packet enters other at least one centralized control that supports the method of the present invention When the network is controlled by the plane, the first remote switch and port that receives this detection packet will be marked by the remote centralized control plane as the boundary switch and boundary port of the current inspection. Then enter the wait and receive remote switch real-time report process 132; the wait and receive remote switch real-time report process 132 is divided into two parts, the remote centralized control plane will wait to receive the detection packet reported by the remote switch And record the report time. After receiving the detection packet, the remote switch actively transmits the detection packet back to the physical server where the remote centralized control plane is located, and then transmits the detection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules Detector for follow-up testing.

After the remote centralized control plane receives the detection packet reported by the remote switch, it will enter the cross-domain report stage 14, generating a cross-domain report packet with path detection information, and then forward it back to the centralized that initiated the detection The cross-domain report stage 14 includes the process of generating a cross-domain report packet 141, sending the cross-domain report packet to the border switch process 142, and the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection. Go to the cross-domain report packet process 143. In the process of generating a cross-domain report packet 141, the remote centralized control plane will generate a cross-domain report packet, and then enter the process of sending the cross-domain report packet to the border switch 142, where the header column of the cross-domain report packet The bits will be filled with the source and destination values in the opposite direction of the detected packet, so the data plane can be used to return to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection along the original path. The payload of the cross-domain report packet is With special keywords and path inspection information, special keywords such as "ReportPacket" can be used to distinguish cross-domain report packets from other packets with the same header. The path inspection information is filled into the remote switch and the packet inspection report is returned. The remote path quality inspection information obtained when reaching the remote centralized control plane, including but not limited to task ID, sending and receiving controller name, sending and receiving switch ID, sending and receiving time, receiving The switch port number and other information; in the process 142 of sending the cross-domain report packet to the border switch, the characteristics of the interconnection of the switches will be used to pass the cross-domain report packet through the edge of the border switch. It sends back to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection along the data plane, and then enters the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection to receive the cross-domain report packet flow 143; In the cross-domain report packet process 143, the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection will obtain the cross-domain path quality information through the cross-domain report packet, and return to the detection stage 12 to wait for more remote reports. result.

After reaching the upper limit of the detection time, the reward phase 15 is entered, and the reward phase 15 includes the final result process 151 of reporting. In the process of reporting the final result 151, the actual path and path quality status of the data flow analyzed according to the report of the network component in the detection stage 12 will be reported to the network manager. In addition, the network manager can also check Stage 12 is to read the periodic report information and path quality status.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the detection packet delivery process of the present invention working in cooperation with a remote control plane. As shown in the figure, it illustrates the detection packet transfer process to understand the actual operation of the present invention and a remote control plane in cooperation. First, the process 211 is to first send the detection packet generated in the preparation phase to the origin switch 210, and the process 212 is that the switch will actively transmit the detection packet back to the physical server where the method of the present invention is located after receiving the detection packet. Then, the process 213 is to pass the detection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules for subsequent detection. The process 211 to the process 212 are to detect the operating status of the origin switch and determine whether the origin switch can indeed send back a detection packet. Subsequent path detection will be repeated according to the pattern of process 214 to process 215 to detect the status of each link and switch. Process 214 is for the switch to send the detection packet back to the server to report the status. Then, process 215 is for another Pass the detection packet to the next switch on the path.

Following the process 215, when the detection packet leaves the network 21 controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, and enters other networks 22 controlled by the centralized control plane supporting the method of the present invention, The centralized control plane that initiates the survey will cooperate with the remote centralized control plane to perform cross-domain path detection. Subsequent path detection will be repeated according to the pattern of process 221 to process 222 to detect the status of each link and switch. In process 211, the remote switch will send the detection packet back to the remote centralized control plane. The server where it is located reports the status, and then the process 222 is to pass the detection packet to the next switch on the path.

In process 223, after receiving the inspection packet reported by the switch, the remote centralized control plane will send the cross-domain report packet to the border switch 220 for this investigation. Then, the process 224 is the cross-domain report packet The network will be sent back along the data plane to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection. Finally, return to the process 216. The centralized control plane that initiated the inspection will obtain the cross-domain path through the cross-domain report packet. Quality information.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the detection packet delivery process of the present invention working in cooperation with multiple remote control planes. As shown in the figure, it is an explanation of the detection packet transfer process to understand the actual operation situation of the present invention in cooperation with multiple remote control planes. In the process 321, when the detection packet leaves the domain 32 between the domain that initiated the survey and the reported domain, it enters a collaboration that is not directly connected to the domain 31 controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the survey When the network domain 33 controlled by the cooperative remote centralized control plane, the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation will cooperate with the remote network domain 32 and the control plane of the remote network domain 33 to perform cross-domain path detection. Subsequent path detection will be repeated according to the pattern of process 331 to process 332 to detect the status of each link and switch. In process 331, the remote switch will send the detection packet back to the remote centralized The server where the control plane is located reports the status. Then, in process 332, the detection packet is passed to the next switch on the path, and then, in process 333, the remote centralized control plane receives the switch report After the detection packet of, the cross-domain report packet will be sent to the border switch 330 for this inspection. After that, in the process 334, the cross-domain report packet will be sent along the data plane. Finally, As shown in the process 322, the control plane of the intermediate network domain will receive the cross-domain path quality information.

If the non-initiated centralized control plane supporting the method of the present invention receives a cross-domain report packet, it represents that its domain is between the domain that initiated the inspection and the reported domain, and is located where the inspection packet will flow. Path, the control plane located between the domain that initiated the investigation and the reporting domain will also send the cross-domain report packet to the border switch, which is the process 323, and then the process 324 will carry the cross-domain check The information cross-domain report packet is sent back through the border port of the border switch. Finally, the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection can obtain the cross-domain path quality information through the cross-domain report packet.

The present invention can be applied to several different routing cases, including but not limited to single path routing, multipath routing, multicast routing, and multi-domain routing. ) And other cases. In addition, the design of the present invention focuses on the cooperation with the centralized control plane of other network domains, which can cooperate with the network controller supporting the same method to form a cross-domain path quality inspection tool, and supports non-collaborators ( Orchestrator's network architecture and any number of domains and switches help network managers and their network management applications analyze the domains and devices where path barriers or bottlenecks occur, so as to troubleshoot more efficiently.

For a single path data stream, the present invention can detect the actual path and path quality it traverses, including but not limited to information such as the actual path, the link delay of each segment, the total path delay, and the packet loss rate. For data streams that have more than one path, such as multi-path and multicast data streams, since the detected packet will be copied into multiple copies like the actual packet, the present invention can still be based on each The inspection packet returned by the switch analyzes the complete path of the data flow and the total number of packets and other information. For multi-domain routing data streams, the present invention can obtain cross-domain information through cooperative inspection with network controllers supporting the same method, and analyze the path quality of this data stream in each network domain. , To assist network managers to analyze the network domains and equipment where path barriers or bottlenecks occur, To troubleshoot more efficiently.

Since the present invention uses the payload content of the packet as the basis for distinguishing between the detection packet and the cross-domain report packet, compared with the method of using the packet header field, it can avoid affecting other networks under the premise of being highly compatible with the original network. Manage applications and provide the actual path and path quality information of the data stream as a basis for debugging and optimization by network managers and other modules. The report time recorded when the control plane receives the report from the switch can be used to calculate the path quality information such as the delay of each link. The initiator knows the cross-domain quality information, which is used for network administrators and network management applications to debug. Using the feature of the switch to connect to each other, the cross-domain report packet is sent through the data plane back to the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection, so that the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection is enabled on the premise that the control planes are not interoperable with each other. Obtain cross-domain path quality information to avoid loss of inspection information due to security fortress isolation between control planes or network connection problems.

Here are a few integrated use cases: by combining with the present invention, the routing application can check whether the actual path the packet flows through is consistent with the calculation result, and confirm whether the path is successfully constructed. Rerouting applications can know whether the current path is stable and unobstructed according to the path inspection results of the present invention, and obtain path quality information such as delay time and packet loss rate. When the packet loss rate of the data stream is too high or the delay is too high It will automatically change the path at any time to avoid the problem equipment. If the network obstacles occur in other domains, you can adjust the exit end of the path or notify the network administrator of the domain to eliminate the obstacles. Statistics and Stress Test applications can use the actual path of the data flow returned by the present invention to accurately target the actual path through which the data flow passes, so as to avoid additional burdens on the network. The Path Health application program can read the path quality information obtained by the investigation of the present invention for further data analysis.

In addition to detecting the path quality status, the present invention can also be used to detect the health status of the switch in the control network. By sending a detection packet to each switch, and then waiting and receiving the switch report, you can confirm whether the switch is in The status of normal forwarding of packets is used as a basis for judging and controlling the network status. In addition, the present invention can also be used to detect passive terminal devices that do not actively send out packets at unknown locations, such as access control card readers and other IoT devices. The passive terminal device to be detected can be set as the end of the data stream, and then the simulation can be synchronized. The header and payload of the ARP Request sent by the network segment device are filled into the detection packet and sent to the control network, so that the detection packet can be transmitted to the passive terminal device through the same path as the actual packet, and then the response packet can be obtained. Then you can know its location in the network.

The core of the method of the present invention is to uniformly collect the reports of network elements when they receive the detection packet, and fill the cross-domain detection information into the payload of the report packet and send it back to the centralized control plane that initiated the detection. The circuit architecture can meet the above two conditions, and the method of the present invention can be implemented. One option for implementing the method of the present invention is the SDN network architecture. The method of the present invention can be implemented as an SDN network management application program. The programmable characteristics of the SDN network architecture are used to customize the forwarding behavior of the SDN switch, so that all SDN exchanges When receiving the detection packet and the report packet, the device designs additional report information to the application program of the present invention according to the method, so as to achieve the design of cross-domain control.

The present invention discloses a path status report method that can span multiple centralized control planes, which can analyze the quality of the cross-domain path through which the data stream flows, and has the following advantages when compared with other existing related technologies: Compared with ping and traceroute , The present invention can report more network information to the network administrator; compared with SDN traceroute, because the present invention uses the payload content of the packet as the basis for detecting the packet, it does not restrict the use of the packet header by other applications With modification, the correct detection result can be obtained under the premise of being highly compatible with other network management applications. Compared with Netography, the present invention does not need to modify the original routing rule settings in the network, and does not limit VLAN The use of headers can be used to check the quality of cross-domain paths without making a lot of changes to the existing network and terminal equipment usage scenarios. In addition, the present invention can cooperate with network controllers that support the same method to form a cross-domain path quality detection tool, and supports a network architecture without an orchestrator and any number of domains and switches. Provides a more complete quality analysis and obstacle removal capabilities; moreover, the present invention focuses on cooperating with network controllers that support the same method to obtain cross-domain path quality information to assist network managers and their network management applications The program analyzes the network domains and devices where path barriers or bottlenecks occur to more efficiently troubleshoot, which can greatly reduce CAPEX and OPEX; in addition, the present invention uses the characteristics of switches to connect to each other to transmit cross-domain report packets through the data plane The method of sending back the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection will enable the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection to obtain cross-domain path quality information under the premise that the control planes are not interoperable, avoiding isolation due to security fortresses between the control planes Or network connection problems and missing test information.

The above detailed description is a specific description of a feasible embodiment of the present invention, but this embodiment is not intended to limit the scope of the patent of the present invention. Any equivalent implementation or modification that does not deviate from the technical spirit of the present invention shall be included in In the scope of the patent in this case.

S11-S15: steps

Claims (11)

A path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes includes: Make the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection generate a detection packet that simulates the actual packet based on the data flow to be detected, so as to detect the actual path that the data flow travels through the network; Send the inspection packet to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection to perform path inspection through the report of the network equipment in the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection ； When the detection packet enters a network controlled by at least one of the other centralized control planes that also supports the path detection, at least one of the centralized control plane that initiated the detection and the other centralized control plane is executed Cooperation between the two to conduct cross-domain path detection; Enable at least one of the other centralized control planes to generate a cross-domain report packet with path detection information after receiving the report from the network equipment in the network under its control, so as to forward the cross-domain report packet Go to the centralized control plane that initiated the survey so that the centralized control plane that initiated the survey obtains cross-domain path quality information; and Report the actual path and path quality status of the data stream. As described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, the path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes, wherein the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection generates a simulated actual packet based on the data flow to be detected The step of detecting packets to detect the actual path the data flows through in the network includes the following sub-steps: Read the data stream information to be detected provided by the network administrator or network management application to obtain the information of the data stream; Generate the header field of the detection packet based on the information of the data stream, so that all network devices can forward it with the same routing rules; and A payload with special keywords and information required for detection is generated in the detection packet. The path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the sending the detection packet to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiates the detection, In the process of path inspection based on the report of the network equipment in the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiates the inspection, the steps include the following sub-steps: Send the detection packet to the switch at the origin of the data stream; and The centralized control plane that initiated the inspection waits to receive the inspection packet reported by the origin switch and records the report time, and then transmits the inspection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules for subsequent inspection. For example, the path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in item 3 of the scope of patent application includes determining whether the detection time has reached the upper limit, and the report is executed when the detection time has reached the upper limit, or When the detection time does not reach the upper limit, continue to wait to receive the return of the starting switch or the next switch. The path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in claim 1 of the patent application, wherein the detection packet enters at least one of the other centralized control planes that also support the path detection In the case of a controlled network, the step of performing cooperation between the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation and at least one of the other centralized control planes to perform cross-domain path detection includes the following sub-steps: Enabling at least one of the other centralized control planes to mark the first remote switch and port that received the detection packet as the boundary switch and boundary port of the path inspection; and Make at least one of the other centralized control planes wait for and receive the detection packet reported by the first remote switch and record the reporting time, and then pass the detection packet to the next switch according to the routing rules to proceed Follow-up testing. The path quality reporting method that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in claim 1 of the patent application, wherein at least one of the other centralized control planes is received in the network controlled by it After the report of the network equipment, a cross-domain report packet with path inspection information is generated to forward the cross-domain report packet to the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection, so that the centralized control plane that initiated the inspection can obtain The step of cross-domain path quality information includes the following sub-steps: When at least one of the other centralized control planes generates the cross-domain report packet, set the source and destination values of the header fields of the cross-domain report packet to be opposite to that of the detection packet, and set The payload of the cross-domain report packet contains special keywords and the path search information; and The cross-domain report packet is sent back to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation through the border port of the border switch along the data plane, so that the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation obtains the cross-domain Domain path quality information. For example, the path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein, if the non-initiated centralized control plane receives the cross-domain report packet, the non-initiated inspection The centralized control plane will carry the path survey information The cross-domain report packet is sent back to the network controlled by the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation through the boundary port of the boundary switch of the network where the centralized control plane that initiated the investigation is located. As described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, the method for reporting path quality across multiple centralized control planes, wherein the path inspection information records each remote switch reporting the inspection packet to the at least one other centralized The remote path quality inspection information obtained during the control plane. The method for reporting path quality that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the step of reporting the actual path and path quality status of the data stream includes reporting to the network manager The actual path and path quality status of the data stream analyzed according to the report of the network component during the detection phase, or the network manager reads the phased report information and path quality status during the detection process. The path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the actual path and path quality status of the data stream include the actual path, the link delay of each segment, and the total path delay Or the packet loss rate. For example, the path quality report method that can span multiple centralized control planes as described in item 1 of the scope of patent application includes checking whether the actual path through which the detection packet flows is consistent with the calculation result through a routing application program. Confirm whether the path built for the inspection packet is successful.

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