VRPR: A New Data Center Protocol for Enhanced Network Performance, Resilience, and Recovery

Abstract

There is an increasing demand for high-performance data center networks with resilient connectivity to support modern applications. Current approaches often lack robustness, particularly when seamlessly integrating wired and wireless technologies. To address this challenge and enhance flexibility, resilience, and programmability in data center architecture protocols, we propose the Versatile Resilience Packet Ring (VRPR) protocol. VRPR leverages a dual-connectivity approach to manage network traffic efficiently. It is implemented alongside P4-enabled network adapters on servers, allowing them to seamlessly utilize both wired and wireless links. Servers can choose the optimal link type based on load and potential interference. In case of a wired link failure, servers can seamlessly transition to wireless links, minimizing downtime and ensuring application availability. VRPR’s rapid recovery times further enhance network robustness. The protocol integrates seamlessly with P4, a programmable network architecture. This enables efficient packet duplication, rerouting, and fault tolerance mechanisms within the VRPR framework. The P4-based approach allows for the integration of security measures like flow entry verification and additional security checks, ensuring robust protection of sensitive data within the network. VRPR signifies a significant advancement in data center networking, supporting data rates up to 100 Gbp/s and sub-microsecond latencies. VRPR, with its focus on resilience and security, positions itself as a potential cornerstone technology for future data center networks. As VRPR evolves, its adoption holds the promise of reshaping data center networking paradigms by offering unparalleled performance and resilience.

Keywords

• VRPR
• data center networks
• high performance
• low latency
• wired
• wireless