US 2024/0267333 A1 · METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SOURCE FLOW SLICING FOR IMPROVING THE LOAD BALANCING

Abstract

A method of load balancing in a communications network includes transmitting, by a source node, to a destination node, a first plurality of packets of a “flowlet” of a flow of packets. Each of the first flowlet of packets includes a plurality of header fields and a randomizer. The header fields and the randomizer are used by a networking device located between the source node and the destination node to select an output port of the networking device for the packets of the first flowlet. Further methods include selecting, by the source node, based on a criteria, a second randomizer for inclusion in a plurality of packets of a second flowlet of packets, waiting a time delay after transmitting the first flowlet of packets, then, inserting the second randomizer into the sequential second flowlet of packets, and transmitting the second flowlet of packets.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of load balancing in a communications network, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a source node, to a destination node, a plurality of packets of a flow, each packet of the plurality of packets including a plurality of header fields and a randomizer value, the flow including at least two flowlets each including a respective sequential subset of the plurality of packets of the flow, the header fields of each of the packets of a same flowlet of the at least two flowlets including a same randomizer value, the randomizer value of a different flowlet of the at least two flowlets having a different randomizer value;
wherein the header fields and the randomizer value of each of the at least two flowlets are used by a networking device located between the source node and the destination node to select an output port of the networking device for the packets of each of the at least two flowlets.

A network device comprising:

a processor;
and
a non-transitory memory for storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the network device to be configured to be operable to:
transmit, to a destination node, a plurality of packets of a flow, each packet of the plurality of packets including a plurality of header fields and a randomizer value, the flow including at least two flowlets each including a respective sequential subset of the plurality of packets of the flow, the header fields of each of the packets of a same flowlet including a same randomizer value, the randomizer value of a different flowlet of the at least two flowlets having a different randomizer value;
wherein the header fields and the randomizer value of each of the at least two flowlets are used by other networking devices located between a source node and the destination node to select an output port of one of the networking devices for the packets of each of the at least two flowlets.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for source flow slicing for improving the load balancing

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for source flow slicing for improving the load balancing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20