Component C36, C40, C44, C48 – NetOptimizer
By Raj Marni. March 23, 2025. Revised. Version: 0.0.09
1. Overview
NetOptimizer consolidates multiple network subcomponents (C36, C40, C44, C48) to provide reliable, optimized, and secure connectivity across the Orbit Plane and ephemeral clusters. At this layer, we examine:
The core functional modules that orchestrate network provisioning and optimization,
How each subcomponent integrates (wired, wifi, satellite, cellular),
The protocols and data flows that enable real-time control, telemetry, and failover.
2. Internal Architecture
2.1 Core Modules
Routing & Load-Balancing Engine
Function: Decides which network link (wired, cell modem, Starlink, etc.) to use based on latency, bandwidth, or policy constraints.
Process: Continuously monitors link performance and adjusts routing tables or load-balancing rules in real time.
Implementation Detail: Rely on standard routing protocols (BGP) combined with custom metrics from subcomponents (C36, C40, C44, C48) to prioritize or fail over connections.
Network Provisioning Orchestrator
Function: Manages the lifecycle of network connections—initial setup, dynamic reconfiguration, and teardown.
Process: Pulls environment variables and policy definitions from the Orbit Plane, then applies consistent networking rules across subcomponents.
Implementation Detail: Expose a REST interface that upstream services (e.g., C8 Portal, orchestrators in the Orbit Plane) call to request or update connectivity.
Policy & Security Enforcer
Function: Applies firewall, encryption, and RBAC/identity rules across all network paths.
Process: Intercepts configuration changes and ensures each subcomponent is updated with the correct security parameters—firewall rules, VPN tunnels, or TLS certificates.
Implementation Detail: Integrates with a central IAM or token-based system in k8or Orbit, ensuring user- or service-level permissions are enforced at the network layer.
Monitoring & Telemetry Collector
Function: Gathers metrics like throughput, latency, error rates, and link state from subcomponents.
Process: Aggregates data in near real time, storing historical records in a time-series or relational store for analysis.
Implementation Detail: Forward data to meta-component Insights Hub containing C88 (Prometheus) and C92 (Grafana) for advanced queries or for alerting and dashboards.
3. Subcomponent Integration
NetOptimizer orchestrates four main subcomponents—C36, C40, C44, and C48. Each subcomponent typically implements a distinct connectivity method or environment:
C36
Role: Wifi network interface.
Integration: Publishes link availability, bandwidth, and error metrics to the Monitoring & Telemetry Collector; receives routing and security policy updates. Coordinates with the Routing & Load-Balancing Engine to determine which path traffic uses.
C40
Role: Wired broadband link.
Integration: Publishes link availability, bandwidth, and error metrics to the Monitoring & Telemetry Collector; receives routing and security policy updates. Coordinates with the Routing & Load-Balancing Engine to determine which path traffic uses.
C44
Likely Role: Cell Modem link.
Integration: Publishes link availability, bandwidth, and error metrics to the Monitoring & Telemetry Collector; receives routing and security policy updates. Coordinates with the Routing & Load-Balancing Engine to determine which path traffic uses.
C48
Likely Role: Starling/Satelite broadband link.
Integration: Publishes link availability, bandwidth, and error metrics to the Monitoring & Telemetry Collector; receives routing and security policy updates. Coordinates with the Routing & Load-Balancing Engine to determine which path traffic uses.
4. Communication & Data Flows
4.1 Within NetOptimizer
Internal APIs:
Each subcomponent (C36, C40, C44, C48) exposes status data to the core modules via either REST endpoints.
Routing & Load-Balancing Engine updates subcomponent routing tables dynamically (e.g., telling C40 to become primary link if C36’s latency crosses a threshold).
Configuration & Policy Updates:
The Network Provisioning Orchestrator pushes policy or config changes (firewall rules, NAT settings, etc.) to subcomponents, triggered by events from the Orbit Plane.
4.2 Interactions with the Orbit Plane
Orchestration Calls:
Services in the Orbit Plane (e.g., the K8or Portal, other orchestration microservices) may request new network connections or ephemeral cluster linkups.
NetOptimizer receives these calls, provisions or modifies the subcomponents accordingly.
Telemetry & Logging:
Monitoring & Telemetry Collector aggregates real-time performance metrics and logs.
This data can be stored is pushed to centralized logging/observability tools (Prometheus/Grafana) for analytics and alerting.
4.3 Interactions with the Cluster Plane
Ephemeral Cluster Connectivity:
New ephemeral K3s clusters automatically connect through NetOptimizer’s curated rules, ensuring each cluster has secure, policy-enforced network links.
NetOptimizer can scale or re-route network traffic based on cluster demands (e.g., heavy dev/test load vs. stable production).
5. Technology & Protocols
Networking Protocols: BGP or simpler static routing for path selection; VPN or TLS for secure tunnels.
Communication:
REST/HTTP for internal API calls and orchestrations.
Message Queues or event buses (NATS) for asynchronous updates.
Security:
TLS Encryption for data in transit.
IAM Integration with token-based authentication (JWT).
Policy Management for controlling ACLs, network segments, and encryption tunnels.
Data Persistence:
Transient Data (real-time link status) might be maintained in memory or short-term caching.
Long-Term Metrics aggregated in k8or Orbit’s persistent data layer and stored in a time-series database (Prometheus) - C 88 and C 92.
6. Key Benefits & Use Cases
Multi-Path Resilience
Automatic failover across subcomponents (wired, cellular, satellite) ensures continuous uptime.
Adaptive Performance
Load-balancing decisions optimize throughput based on real-time link metrics.
Security & Compliance
Central policy enforcement across diverse network paths helps maintain consistent security controls.
Operational Efficiency
Operators manage all network links via a single meta-component, reducing manual overhead and potential misconfiguration.
Scalable for Future Growth
Additional subcomponents or advanced routing rules can be plugged in without major architectural overhauls, thanks to modular design.
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