IP Library Granted Patent US 10,432,501
Granted Patent B2
US 10,432,501 · App. 15/511,417 · Granted Oct 1, 2019

SDN architecture and method for forwarding message based on SDN architecture

Inventors: Feicai Jin (Shenzhen, CN); Ran Chen (Shenzhen, CN); Yanjie Zhao (Shenzhen, CN); Xinwen Jiao (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: XI'AN Zhongxing New Software Co., LTD.
H04L45/02H04L45/22H04L45/38H04L45/42H04L45/64H04L67/2823H04L67/2838
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,432,501
App. No.
15/511,417
Granted
Oct 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An SDN architecture and a method for forwarding message based on the SDN architecture are provided. The SDN architecture includes controllers and a forwarding device, and the SDN further includes: a monitoring controller, which is connected between the multiple controllers and the forwarding device and configured to receive or monitor control plane messages of the multiple controllers, and determine a flow table to be sent to the forwarding device according to a local strategy and the control plane messages of the multiple controllers.

Claims (38)

1. A Software Defined Network (SDN) architecture, which comprises multiple controllers and a forwarding device, and the SDN architecture further comprise:

a monitoring controller, connected between the multiple controllers and the forwarding device and configured to receive or monitor control plane messages of the multiple controllers, and determine a flow table to be sent to the forwarding device according to a local strategy and the control plane messages of the multiple controllers;

wherein the multiple controllers are directly connected with the forwarding device logically, and the multiple controllers are connected with the forwarding device through the monitoring controller physically, wherein the monitoring controller is configured to monitor the control plane messages of the multiple controllers;

wherein logical connection channels between the multiple controllers and the forwarding device comprise: third main connection channels and one or more third auxiliary connection channels; and

the monitoring controller is configured to transparently transmit the control plane messages of the multiple controllers on the third main connection channels, and selectively discard or forward the control plane messages of the multiple controllers on the third auxiliary connection channels.

2. The SDN architecture according to claim 1 , wherein

one end of the monitoring controller is logically connected with the multiple controllers, and the other end is logically connected with the forwarding device; the multiple controllers are logically connected with the forwarding device through the monitoring controller; and the monitoring controller is configured to receive first control plane messages from the multiple controllers, process the first control plane messages to obtain second control plane messages according to the local strategy, and send the second control plane messages to the forwarding device.

3. The SDN architecture according to claim 2 , wherein the monitoring controller is configured to generate the flow table according to the local strategy and the control plane messages of the multiple controllers, and determine the generated flow table as the flow table to be sent to the forwarding device.

4. The SDN architecture according to claim 3 , wherein each controller has the same decision making right for the forwarding device.

5. The SDN architecture according to claim 2 , wherein logical connection channels between the monitoring controller and the multiple controllers comprise first main connection channels, or the logical connection channels comprise the first main connection channels and one or more first auxiliary connection channels.

6. The SDN architecture according to claim 2 , wherein logical connection channels between the monitoring controller and the forwarding device comprise a second main connection channel, or the logical connection channels comprise the second main connection channel and one or more second auxiliary connection channels.

7. The SDN architecture according to claim 2 , wherein the monitoring controller is further configured to receive a third control plane message from the forwarding device, process the third control plane message to obtain a fourth control plane message according to the local strategy, and send the fourth control plane message to the multiple controllers.

8. The SDN architecture according to claim 2 , wherein each controller has the same decision making right for the forwarding device.

9. The SDN architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring controller is configured to select a flow table from flow tables carried in the control plane messages of the multiple controllers, and determine the selected flow table as the flow table to be sent to the forwarding device.

10. The SDN architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring controller is further configured to transparently transmit the control plane message from the forwarding device to the multiple controllers.

11. The SDN architecture according to claim 10 , wherein each controller has the same decision making right for the forwarding device.

12. The SDN architecture according to claim 1 , wherein each controller has the same decision making right for the forwarding device.

13. A method for forwarding message based on Software Defined Network (SDN) architecture, comprising:

receiving or monitoring, by a monitoring controller, control plane messages of multiple controllers in the SDN architecture;

determining, by the monitoring controller, a flow table according to a local strategy and the control plane messages of the multiple controllers; and

sending, by the monitoring controller, the determined flow table to a forwarding device for message forwarding;

wherein the multiple controllers are directly connected with the forwarding device logically, and the multiple controllers are connected with the forwarding device through the monitoring controller physically, wherein the monitoring controller is configured to monitor the control plane messages of the multiple controllers;

wherein logical connection channels between the multiple controllers and the forwarding device comprise: third main connection channels and one or more third auxiliary connection channels; and

the monitoring controller is configured to transparently transmit the control plane messages of the multiple controllers on the third main connection channels, and selectively discard or forward the control plane messages of the multiple controllers on the third auxiliary connection channels.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein one end of the monitoring controller is logically connected with the multiple controllers, and the other end is logically connected with the forwarding device; the multiple controllers are logically connected with the forwarding device through the monitoring controller; and receiving, by the monitoring controller, the control plane messages of the multiple controllers in the SDN architecture comprises:

receiving, by the monitoring controller, the control plane messages through logical connection channels between the monitoring controller and the multiple controllers.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein determining, by the monitoring controller, the flow table according to the local strategy and the control plane messages of the multiple controllers comprises: generating, by the monitoring controller, the flow table according to the local strategy and the control plane messages of the multiple controllers, and determining the generated flow table as the flow table to be sent to the forwarding device.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the multiple controllers are directly connected with the forwarding device logically, and the multiple controllers are connected with the forwarding device through the monitoring controller physically; and

monitoring, by the monitoring controller, the control plane messages of the multiple controllers in the SDN architecture comprises:

monitoring, by the monitoring controller, the control plane messages, sent on logical connection channels between the multiple controllers and the forwarding device, of the multiple controllers.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein determining, by the monitoring controller, the flow table according to the local strategy and the control plane messages of the multiple controllers comprises:

selecting, by the monitoring controller, a flow table from flow tables carried in the control plane messages of the multiple controllers, and determining the selected flow table as the flow table to be sent to the forwarding device.

18. A method for forwarding message based on Software Defined Network (SDN) architecture, comprising:

receiving, by a forwarding device in the SDN architecture, a flow table forwarded by a monitoring controller, wherein the flow table is a flow table determined by the monitoring controller according to a local strategy and control plane messages of multiple controllers; and

performing, by the forwarding device, message forwarding according to the flow table forwarded by the monitoring controller;

wherein the multiple controllers are directly connected with the forwarding device logically, and the multiple controllers are connected with the forwarding device through the monitoring controller physically, wherein the monitoring controller is configured to monitor the control plane messages of the multiple controllers;

wherein logical connection channels between the multiple controllers and the forwarding device comprise: third main connection channels and one or more third auxiliary connection channels; and

the monitoring controller is configured to transparently transmit the control plane messages of the multiple controllers on the third main connection channels, and selectively discard or forward the control plane messages of the multiple controllers on the third auxiliary connection channels.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2019
From: ZTE CORPORATION
To: XI'AN ZHONGXING NEW SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049674/0360 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2017
From: JIN, FEICAI; CHEN, RAN; ZHAO, YANJIE; JIAO, XINWEN
To: ZTE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041583/0352 →