System and method for creating a transitive optimized flow path

• US 8,971,335 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exafer, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Exafer, Ltd.
• Inventors: NOSSENSON, Ronit, Zakai, Avinoam, Harel, Amir, Lelcuk, Alon
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSTIN, JEREMY M
• Application Number:
  US12/827,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 370400-418, 370/466, 370/467, 709220-240
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing

Abstract

Traffic paths based on common devices available in a network are optimized, controlled, manipulated and created. The new paths used to optimize are not limited to the original OSI layer and/or original networks. Thus, various kinds of users/computers/devices, working in the same or in different abstraction layer networks, are combined into one collective virtual network providing the ability to compute and utilize the best (optimal) traffic path for each flow at each given time. The traffic path can be constructed especially for each flow. All or most devices and layer networks are combined in a collective virtual network when computing and constructing an optimized path for a flow. Thus, there is no need to add additional headers to a flow thereby eliminating the addition of overhead to the flow.

Claims

1. A method for creating a transitive optimized path for a flow, comprising:

maintaining a topology database of collective virtual networks (CVNs) by collecting topology information related to three or more of different Open System Interconnection (OSI) model layers from a plurality of network devices, wherein a CVN connects devices working in networks that belong to different OSI layers;

identifying a new flow establishment to be carried over a first path;

identifying, based at least in part on information from the CVN database, a Transmitting Device Set with Promiscuous and Re-writing Capabilities (TDSPRC) that transfers the new flow;

defining two or more coupled promiscuity networks (CPN) for carrying the new flow, wherein the traffic over the two or more CPNs passes through the TDSPRC and wherein at least one coupled network within a particular CPN differs from at least one other coupled network within any of the two or more CPN in at least one network characteristic;

planning, based at least in part on information from the CVN database, an optimized path, other than the first path, for the new flow; and

directing the new flow through the planned optimized path by utilizing the TDSPRC to rewrite at least one original header of a frame of the new flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of rewriting at least one original header of a frame further comprises deleting at least one encapsulation header from the original header of the frame of the new flow.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one original header of a frame is a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) tunneling header.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one original header of a frame of the new flow is an Open System Interconnection layer 2 header.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of directing the new flow further comprises controlling said one or more TDSPRCs to transfer the new flow according to the optimized path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of directing the new flow comprises sending control commands to the TDSPRC.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the TDSPRC is associated with a metro switch.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the metro switch is associated with a frame-processing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the frame-processing device is a deep packet inspection device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of planning an optimized path further comprises the act of planning an optimized path based on latency criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network characteristic is selected from a group consisting of the OSI application layer and the OSI session layer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the new flow establishment is of a Peer-to-Peer session.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

changing a layer 2 destination frame address from an address of a Broadband Remote Access Server to a layer 2 address of another peer.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the act of sending control commands to the TDSPRC further comprises sending a rewrite-header command.

15. A system that creates an optimized path for a flow, comprising:

a flow-path-optimizer-and-creator;

a plurality of collective virtual networks (CVNs), wherein a CVN connects devices working in networks that belong to different Open System Interconnection (OSI) model layers; and

one or more Transmitting Device Set with Promiscuous and Re-writing Capabilities (TDSPRCs);

wherein the flow-path-optimizer-and-creator is configured to collect topology information related to three or more different OSI layers from a plurality of network devices working in different OSI layers, define two or more coupled promiscuity networks (CPN) from the plurality of CVNs according to the one or more TDSPRCs, plan, based at least in part on the collected topology information related to three or more different OSI layers, an optimized path, instead of a trivial path, for a flow, and instruct the one or more TDSPRCs to rewrite at least one of an original header of a frame as a rewritten header of the flow in order to create and transfer the flow through the optimized path instead of the trivial path; and

wherein the traffic over two or more CPNs passes through the one or more TDSPRCs that transfer the flow according to the rewritten header of the flow.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one CVN differs from another CVN by operating at a different OSI layer selected from a group consisting of the OSI application layer and the OSI session layer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein one of the one or more TDSPRCs is associated with a frame processor.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the flow-path-optimizer-and-creator is configured to rewrite at least one of an original header of a frame of the flow by deleting at least one encapsulation header of an original frame of the flow.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more TDSPRC comprises a metro switch.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the flow is a peer-to-peer flow.

21. A flow-path-creator-and-optimizer, comprising:

an interface controller;

one or more session managers;

a coupled promiscuity networks (CPN) manager; and

a database of topology information;

wherein the interface controller is configured to interface between a plurality of network devices and internal units of the flow-path-creator-and-optimizer;

wherein the CPN manager is configured to collect topology information related to three or more different Open System Interconnection (OSI) model layers from a plurality of network devices working in different OSI layers, store the collected topology information in the database of topology information, and dynamically maintain the database of topology information on collective virtual networks (CVNs), wherein a CVN connects network devices working in networks that belong to different layer OSI layers, and one or more Transmitting Device Set with Promiscuous and Re-writing Capabilities (TDSPRC), perform network registration processes, and update the database of topology information; and

wherein the one or more session managers plans, based at least in part on information from the CVN database, a session optimization path, instead of a trivial path, over two or more coupled promiscuity networks (CPN), based on the database of topology information and accordingly creates a session virtualization process by controlling a selected TDSPRC to rewrite at least one header of an original frame of a flow, generates a session'"'"'s flows forwarding rules and transfers the session'"'"'s flows forwarding rules to the selected TDSPRC.

22. The flow-path-creator-and-optimizer of claim 21, wherein the interface controller further comprise a translator that translates data received from the plurality of network devices before transferring them to internal units of the flow-path-creator-and-optimizer.

23. The flow-path-creator-and-optimizer of claim 22, wherein the data comprises forwarding rules transmitted toward the selected TDSPRC.

24. The flow-path-creator-and-optimizer of claim 23, wherein the selected TDSPRC is associated with a frame processor device.

25. The flow-path-creator-and-optimizer of claim 21, wherein the flow-path-creator-and-optimizer publishes in a Domain Name Service (DNS) its optimization addresses.

26. A method to optimize information delivery between a first node on a first network and a second node on the same or different network, the delivery being made through a networked system in which one or more paths between the first node and the second node are known and, through a Transmitting Device Set with Promiscuous and Re-writing Capabilities (TDSPRC) that receives and retransmits all frames of the first network and the same or different network, and the method comprising:

collecting topology information related to three or more different Open System Interconnection (OSI) model layers from a plurality of network devices working in networks that belong to different OSI layers;

identifying alternate paths, based at least in part on the collected topology information related to three or more different OSI layers, between the first node and the second node;

creating a collective virtual network (CVN) including the known paths and the alternate paths, for a particular flow, identify an optimal path in the CVN instead of a known path between the first node and the second node; and

modifying the data frames of the particular flow to be compatible with a network technology employed by the identified optimal path, wherein the modification is implemented by the TDSPRC and the TDSPRC is not a member in at least one of the networks.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the act of identifying alternate paths further comprises:

receiving a message;

identifying a new network associated with the message; and

including the new network in the collective virtual network.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein prior to the act of identifying alternate paths, the method comprises detecting an event that triggers the identifying act.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the new network differs from at least one other network in the collective virtual network at least in one network characteristic.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one network characteristic is a layer in a similar Open System Interconnection (OSI) model.