US 11,451,458 B2Granted

Method and software defined network controller for performing round-trip time determination between a source element and a target element

AssigneeNEC Corporation

InventorsFabian Schneider, Anton Matsiuk, Dimitrios Gkounis

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Abstract

A method performs round-trip time determination between a source element and a target element, the source element is a forwarding element of a software defined network, which also includes a software defined network controller for controlling the forwarding elements. The method includes: instructing the source element to install a low priority detection rule, the low priority detection rule being triggerable by an incoming pong probe packet; instructing the source element to install at least one high priority detection rule having a timeout period, the high priority detection rule being triggerable by the incoming pong probe packet; instructing the source element to send a ping probe packet from the source element to the target element; deriving an estimate range for the round-trip time based on the detection rule being triggered by the pong probe packet received by the source element from the target element in response to the ping probe packet.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for performing round-trip time determination between a source element and a target element, wherein the source element is a forwarding element of a software defined network, wherein the software defined network comprises one or more forwarding elements and a software defined network controller for controlling the one or more forwarding elements, the method comprising steps of:

a) instructing the source element to install a low priority detection rule, wherein the low priority detection rule is configured to be triggered by an incoming pong probe packet;
b) instructing, the source element to install at least one high priority detection rule having a timeout period, wherein the high priority detection rule is configured to be triggered by the incoming pong probe packet;
c) instructing the source element to send a ping probe packet from the source element to the target element;
and
d) deriving an estimate range for the round-trip time based on the low priority detection rule or the at least one high priority detection rule being triggered by the pong probe packet that is received by the source element from the target element in response to the ping probe packet,
wherein a measurement iteration comprising steps b), c) and d) is iteratively repeated,
wherein the timeout period of the high priority detection rule according to step b), which is installed on the source element per measurement iteration, is set to a new timeout period value based on the estimate range derived in a preceding measurement iteration, and
wherein step d) of a current measurement iteration updates the estimate range for the round-trip time.

5 more elements

A software defined network controller implemented in a software defined network, the software defined network controller being configured to control a source element and a target element in a software defined network, wherein the source element and the target element are forwarding elements that are connected to each other within the software defined network,

wherein the software defined network controller is configured to instruct the target element to install a pong probe packet generation rule, wherein the pong probe packet generation rule is configured to be triggered by an incoming ping probe packet,
wherein the software defined network controller is further configured to determine round-trip time between the source element and the target element by:
a) instructing the source element to install a low priority detection rule, wherein the low priority detection rule is configured to be triggered by an incoming pong probe packet,
b) instructing the source element to install at least one high priority detection rule having a timeout period, wherein the high priority detection rule is configured to be triggered by the incoming pong probe packet,
c) instructing the source element to send a ping probe packet from the source element to the target element, and
d) deriving an estimate range for the round-trip time based on the low priority detection rule or the at least one high priority detection rule being triggered by the pong probe packet that is received by the source element from the target element in response to the ping probe packet,
wherein the software defined network controller is further configured to iteratively repeat a measurement iteration comprising steps b), c) and d),
wherein the timeout period of the high priority detection rule according to step b), which is installed on the source element per measurement iteration, is configured to be set to a new timeout period value based on the estimate range derived in a preceding measurement iteration, and
wherein step d) of a current measurement iteration updates the estimate range for the round-trip time.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/468,300Filed 13 Dec 2016
Published: US 2020/0084128 A112 Mar 2020
Granted: 20 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04L 43/0864
Delays: round trip delays
H04L 41/342
Signalling channels for network management communication: between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities
H04L 43/0811
By checking availability: by checking connectivity
H04L 43/10
Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks: active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Family

US 2020/0084128 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Mar 2020
US 11,451,458 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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