Method and device for operating a network component and a control instance in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure

1. A method for operating a network component in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure, wherein the software-defined networking communication infrastructure is switched from an operation according to a first strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components of the communication infrastructure to an operation according to a second strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in the network components as a function of at least one trigger signal, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving, by the network component, in an operation according to the first strategy from a control instance, the at least one trigger signal in a trigger message, the trigger message being a multicast message or a unicast message or in a broadcast message;

checking, by the network component, whether or not the second strategy is implementable by the network component;

transmitting, by the network component, a response message to the control instance in response to the trigger message as a function of a result of the checking, the response message including information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable by the network component;

checking, by the network component, whether an abort message is received by the network component; and

based on the checking, switching, by the network component, from the operation according to the first strategy to the operation according to the second strategy, when no abort message is received, by the network component, by a predefined switching point in time after the receiving of the trigger message.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the following step:

transmitting, by the network component, a configuration confirmation message to the control instance after switching to the operation according to the second strategy.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the trigger signal is signaled by a heartbeat signal received regularly or cyclically by the network component from the control instance, the switching from the operation according to the first strategy to the operation according to the second strategy being triggered if the trigger signal failed to appear or is changed.

4. A method for operating a network component in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure, wherein the software-defined networking communication infrastructure is switched from an operation according to a first strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components of the communication infrastructure to an operation according to a second strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in the network components as a function of at least one trigger signal, comprising the following steps:

receiving, by the network component, in an operation according to the first strategy from a control instance, the at least one trigger signal in a trigger message, the trigger message being a multicast message or a unicast message or in a broadcast message;

checking, by the network component, whether or not the second strategy is implementable by the network component;

transmitting, by the network component, a response message to the control instance in response to the trigger message as a function of a result of the checking, the response message including information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable;

after the receiving of the trigger message by a predefined switching point in time, checking, by the network component, whether an abort message is received, the operation according to the first strategy being maintained if the abort message has been received by a second predefined switching point in time and a confirmation message is transmitted by the network component to the control instance in response to the abort message.

5. A method for operating a control instance in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure, wherein the software-defined networking communication infrastructure is switched from an operation according to a first strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components of the communication infrastructure to an operation according to a second strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components as a function of at least one trigger signal, the method comprising the following steps:

determining the at least one trigger signal by the control instance in an operation according to the first strategy;

transmitting, by the control instance, the at least one trigger signal in a plurality of unicast messages or in a broadcast message, to a plurality of network components;

checking, by the control instance, whether a response message, which includes information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable, is received from at least one of the plurality of network components in response to the transmission of the trigger message;

transmitting an abort message by the control instance, in a plurality of unicast messages or in a broadcast message, if the second strategy is not implementable by at least one of the plurality of the network components, or if no information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable is received from at least one of the plurality of the network components by a predefined point in time after the transmission of the trigger message;

checking, by the control instance, whether a configuration confirmation message, which confirms that the second strategy is implemented, is received from all network components of the plurality of network components, the abort message being transmitted when the second strategy is not implemented by at least one of the plurality of the network components, or when no configuration confirmation message, which confirms that the second strategy is implemented, is received from at least one of the plurality of the network components by the predefined confirmation point in time after the transmission of the trigger message.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , further comprising the following steps:

checking, by the control instance, by a predefined confirmation point in time after the transmission of the trigger message, whether a configuration confirmation message has been received from at least one network component, which confirms that the network component is switched from the operation according to the first strategy to the operation according to the second strategy; and

transmitting the abort message, in a plurality of unicast messages or in a broadcast message, if the second strategy is not implemented by at least one of the plurality of the network components, or if no information about whether or not the second strategy is implemented is received from at least one of the plurality of the network components by the confirmation point in time.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the trigger signal is signaled by a heartbeat signal transmitted regularly or cyclically by the control instance, the switching from the operation according to the first strategy to the operation according to the second strategy being triggered if the trigger signal failed to appear or is changed.

8. A network component in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure, wherein the software-defined networking communication infrastructure is switched from an operation according to a first strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components of the communication infrastructure to an operation according to a second strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in the network components as a function of at least one trigger signal, the network component comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

an interface to the communication infrastructure;

wherein the network component is configured to:

receive in an operation according to the first strategy from a control instance, the at least one trigger signal in a trigger message, the trigger message being a multicast message or a unicast message or in a broadcast message;

check whether or not the second strategy is implementable by the network component; and

transmit a response message to the control instance in response to the trigger message as a function of a result of the checking, the response message including information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable by the network component;

check whether an abort message is received by the network component; and

based on the check, switch the network component from the operation according to the first strategy to the operation according to the second strategy, when no abort message is received, by the network component, by a predefined switching point in time after the receipt of the trigger message.

9. A control instance in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure, wherein the software-defined networking communication infrastructure is switched from an operation according to a first strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components of the communication infrastructure to an operation according to a second strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in the network components as a function of at least one trigger signal, the control instance comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

an interface;

wherein the control instance is configured to:

determine the at least one trigger signal in an operation according to the first strategy;

transmit the at least one trigger signal in a plurality of unicast messages or in a broadcast message, to a plurality of network components;

check whether a response message, which includes information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable, is received from at least one of the plurality of network components in response to the transmission of the trigger message; and

transmit an abort message by the control instance, in a plurality of unicast messages or in a broadcast message, if the second strategy is not implementable by at least one of the plurality of the network components, or if no information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable is received from at least one of the plurality of the network components by a predefined point in time after the transmission of the trigger message;

check whether a configuration confirmation message, which confirms that the second strategy is implemented, is received from all network components of the plurality of network components, the abort message being transmitted when the second strategy is not implemented by at least one of the plurality of the network components, or when no configuration confirmation message, which confirms that the second strategy is implemented, is received from at least one of the plurality of the network components by the predefined confirmation point in time after the transmission of the trigger message.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium on which is stored a computer program including computer-readable instructions for operating a network component in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure, wherein the software-defined networking communication infrastructure is switched from an operation according to a first strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components of the communication infrastructure to an operation according to a second strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in the network components as a function of at least one trigger signal, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

receiving, by the network component, in an operation according to the first strategy from a control instance, the at least one trigger signal in a trigger message, the trigger message being a multicast message or a unicast message or in a broadcast message;

checking, by the network component whether or not the second strategy is implementable by the network component; and

transmitting, by the network component, a response message to the control instance in response to the trigger message as a function of a result of the checking, the response message including information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable by the network component;

checking, by the network component, whether an abort message is received by the network component; and

based on the checking, switching the network component, from the operation according to the first strategy to the operation according to the second strategy, when no abort message is received, by the network component, by a predefined switching point in time after the receiving of the trigger message.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium on which is stored a computer program including computer-readable instructions for operating a control instance in a software-defined networking communication infrastructure, wherein the software-defined networking communication infrastructure is switched from an operation according to a first strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components of the communication infrastructure to an operation according to a second strategy for forwarding time-critical data streams in network components as a function of at least one trigger signal, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

determining the at least one trigger signal in an operation according to the first strategy;

transmitting the at least one trigger signal in a plurality of unicast messages or in a broadcast message, to a plurality of network components;

checking whether a response message, which includes information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable, is received from at least one of the plurality of network components in response to the transmission of the trigger message; and

transmitting an abort message, in a plurality of unicast messages or in a broadcast message, if the second strategy is not implementable by at least one of the plurality of the network components, or if no information about whether or not the second strategy is implementable is received from at least one of the plurality of the network components by a predefined point in time after the transmission of the trigger message;

checking, by the control instance, whether a configuration confirmation message, which confirms that the second strategy is implemented, is received from all network components of the plurality of network components, the abort message being transmitted when the second strategy is not implemented by at least one of the plurality of the network components, or when no configuration confirmation message, which confirms that the second strategy is implemented, is received from at least one of the plurality of the network components by the predefined confirmation point in time after the transmission of the trigger message.