METHOD TO CHECK HEALTH OF AUTOMATICALLY DISCOVERED CONTROLLERS IN SOFTWARE DEFINED NETWORKS (SDNs)

• US 20150312132A1
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Argela Yazilim Ve Bilisim Teknolojileri San. Ve Tic A.S.
• Original Assignee: Argela Yazilim Ve Bilisim Teknolojileri San. Ve Tic A.S.
• Inventors: GUNEY, NAZLI, CIVANLAR, SEYHAN, GORKEMLI, BURAK, PARLAKISIK, MURAT, SUNAY, OGUZ, OZEN, UYGAR, KARAMAN, MELIH, KAYTAZ, BULENT
• Granted Patent: US 9,667,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/342 between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/036 Updating the topology between route computation elements, e.g. between OpenFlow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/555 Error detection

Abstract

A method to check health of automatically discovered controllers comprises the steps of: (a) a first controller generating a first Controller-Advertisement message carrying the information required to identify and access the first controller when a new switch port becomes active; (b) the first controller sending the generated first Controller-Advertisement to a first switch having the newly activated port; (c) the first controller receiving at least a second Controller-Advertisement message from at least a second controller; (d) the first controller generating a third unsolicited Controller-Advertisement message with its access information to check health of the second controller; (e) the first controller receiving at least a fourth Controller-Advertisement message from the second controller indicating health information of the second controller, wherein the health information is stored in first controller'"'"'s Controller Information Base (CIB).

Claims

1. A method to check health of automatically discovered controllers comprising the steps of:

a) a first controller generating a first Controller-Advertisement message carrying the information required to identify and access said first controller when a new switch port becomes active;

b) said first controller sending said generated first Controller-Advertisement to a first switch having said newly activated port;

c) said first controller receiving at least a second Controller-Advertisement message from at least a second controller;

d) said first controller generating a third unsolicited Controller-Advertisement message with its access information to check health of said second controller;

e) said first controller receiving at least a fourth Controller-Advertisement message from said second controller indicating health information of said second controller, wherein said health information is stored in first controller'"'"'s Controller Information Base (CIB).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating received Controller-Advertisement messages.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to sending, setting a solicit flag in a Controller-Advertisement message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a Controller-Advertisement message with solicit flag cleared upon receiving a Controller-Advertisement message with solicit flag set.