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What Is Multi-Fed and Selective Receiving?

Multi-fed and selective receiving, also called multi-path packet duplication, is a technology for mitigating packet loss. The technology enables the transmit end to duplicate packets and send both the original and duplicated packets over two links with the best quality. If packet loss occurs on one link, the receive end uses the duplicated packets transmitted over the other link to restore the lost packets, removing the need to retransmit packets.
Multi-fed and selective receiving is applicable to services with low traffic and high reliability requirements, for example, in VoIP, payment, and 5G industrial scenarios.

Why Is Multi-Fed and Selective Receiving Used?

On enterprise networks, some network services, such as VoIP services, payment services by scanning QR codes in chain stores, and 5G industrial remote control services, have high requirements for transmission reliability although the traffic volume is low. If packet loss or latency occurs during traffic transmission, VoIP calls will be cut in and out, payment services will fail, and remote industrial control will be seriously delayed, causing production accidents. The multi-fed and selective receiving technology is a good choice for ensuring zero packet loss and low latency of corresponding services.

How Does Multi-Fed and Selective Receiving Work?

Traffic on an enterprise network is typically transmitted over more than one link. The multi-fed and selective receiving technology can effectively utilize the advantages of multi-link transmission.

First, the transmit end identifies the data flows of key applications, makes one copy of the data flows, and selects the two links with the best quality that are available to the enterprise network to forward the original and copied data flows respectively.

The receive end then handles the received data flows based on the transmission status of traffic packets to achieve zero packet loss and low latency for key applications.

That is, after receiving the data packets transmitted over the two links, the receive end caches and deduplicates them, thereby restoring the original data flows to ensure zero packet loss for key applications, as shown in the following figure.

Multi-fed and selective receiving ensuring zero packet loss
Multi-fed and selective receiving ensuring zero packet loss

If the two links have different latencies, data transmission on one link is fast, and that on the other link is slow. The receive end preferentially forwards the data packets that are fast transmitted and discards duplicate data packets that are slowly transmitted to ensure low latency of key applications.

Multi-fed and selective receiving ensuring low latency
Multi-fed and selective receiving ensuring low latency

Application Scenarios of Multi-Fed and Selective Receiving

Multi-fed and selective receiving is applicable to network services with low traffic and high quality requirements.

VoIP Calls

In VoIP call scenarios, voice communication is required between the HQ and branches. To prevent voice interruptions caused by the latency and packet loss, you can enable the multi-fed and selective receiving function on the CPEs of the HQ and branches. The transmit end makes one copy of voice traffic and transmits the original and coped data flows over the MPLS and Internet links of the enterprise, respectively. The receive end then accepts the traffic that is first received and restores the lost traffic based on the traffic transmission status, providing superior voice experience.

Typical networking for the VoIP call scenario
Typical networking for the VoIP call scenario

Payment by Scanning QR Codes in Chain Stores

In chain stores of large enterprises, QR code-scanning payment services are frequently performed every day. If network fluctuation occurs, payment fails, affecting the normal payment progress. However, it is costly to deploy an MPLS leased line for each store. You can use multiple Internet links and enable the multi-fed and selective receiving function on CPEs to copy service traffic and forward the traffic on the two links with the best quality. The receive end then restores lost packets, achieving zero packet loss for payment services and ensuring that the payment transaction succeeds at the first time.

Typical networking for payment by scanning QR codes in chain stores
Typical networking for payment by scanning QR codes in chain stores

About This Topic
  • Author: Ding Heng
  • Updated on: 2022-10-12
  • Views: 1549
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