Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080215910 | High-Availability Networking with Intelligent Failover - Methods and systems for maintaining high-availability in a computer network using intelligent failover are presented. In a network switch running an OSI model layer-2 or higher protocol on its external links, the protocol state information is monitored to determine failover status of the link to avoid identifying external link failures due to link flapping. One such protocol is the spanning tree protocol. Additionally, flexibility in failover is provided using configurable triggers to define external failure events. The triggers initiate a link drop of one or more internal links of the network switch in response to an external failure event. The link drops, in turn, initiate failover of an attached computing device to a redundant link through a network interface teaming/failover arrangement whereby the computing device switches to an alternative network interface accessing the network through a redundant path. Failover can be selective depending upon VLAN and trunking configurations. | 09-04-2008 |
20080275975 | Blade Server System with at Least One Rack-Switch Having Multiple Switches Interconnected and Configured for Management and Operation as a Single Virtual Switch - Described is a rack-switch including a rack and a plurality of blade server chassis within the rack. Each blade server chassis has a plurality of server blades in communication with at least one switch. Each switch includes a plurality of external ports. At least two of the external ports of each switch are inter-switch link (ISL) ports. The rack-switch also includes a plurality of inter-switch links. Each inter-switch link electrically connects one ISL port of one of the switches to one ISL port of another of the switches. The plurality of inter-switch links interconnects the switches such that the switches are daisy chained in a loop. The inter-switch links convey Ethernet packets representing server-to-server communications between server blades of different blade server chassis. | 11-06-2008 |
20110035494 | NETWORK VIRTUALIZATION FOR A VIRTUALIZED SERVER DATA CENTER ENVIRONMENT - A data center includes a physical host machine operating a virtualized entity and a network switch having a physical port connected to the physical host machine. To configure the network switch, the network switch has a management module that acquires information about the virtualized entity operating on the physical host machine. The network switch associates the acquired information about the virtualized entity with the physical port, assigns the virtualized entity to a group associated with a traffic-handling policy, and processes packet traffic from the virtualized entity in accordance with the traffic-handling policy. The virtualized entity can be, for example, a virtual machine or a multi-queue network input/output adapter operating on the physical host machine. | 02-10-2011 |
20120093034 | VIRTUAL SWITCHING PORTS ON HIGH-BANDWIDTH LINKS - Method and apparatus for managing traffic of a switch include logically partitioning a physical port of the switch into a plurality of virtual ports. One or more virtual output queues are uniquely associated with each virtual port. Switching resources of the switch are assigned to each of the virtual ports. A source virtual port is derived from a frame arriving at the physical port. The frame is placed in a given one of the one or more virtual output queues uniquely associated with the source virtual port derived from the frame. A destination virtual port for the frame is determined. The frame is transferred from the virtual output queue in which the frame is placed to an egress queue associated with the destination virtual port and forwarded from the egress queue to a destination physical port of the switch. | 04-19-2012 |
20120287785 | DATA TRAFFIC HANDLING IN A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC PROTOCOL (DFP) SWITCHING NETWORK ARCHITECTURE - A switching network includes an upper tier having a master switch and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities. The master switch, which has a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective lower tier entity, implements on each of the ports a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port. Data traffic communicated between the master switch and RPIs is queued within virtual ports that correspond to the RPIs with which the data traffic is communicated. The master switch applies data handling to the data traffic in accordance with a control policy based at least upon the virtual port in which the data traffic is queued, such that the master switch applies different policies to data traffic queued to two virtual ports on the same port of the master switch. | 11-15-2012 |
20120287786 | PRIORITY BASED FLOW CONTROL IN A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC PROTOCOL (DFP) SWITCHING NETWORK ARCHITECTURE - A switching network includes an upper tier and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities. A master switch in the upper tier, which has a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective lower tier entity, implements on each of the ports a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port. Data traffic communicated between the master switch and RPIs is queued within virtual ports that correspond to the RPIs on lower tier entities with which the data traffic is communicated. The master switch enforces priority-based flow control (PFC) on data traffic of a given virtual port by transmitting, to a lower tier entity on which a corresponding RPI resides, a PFC data frame specifying priorities for at least two different classes of data traffic communicated by the particular RPI. | 11-15-2012 |
20120287787 | PRIORITY BASED FLOW CONTROL IN A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC PROTOCOL (DFP) SWITCHING NETWORK ARCHITECTURE - A switching network includes an upper tier and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities. A master switch in the upper tier, which has a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective lower tier entity, implements on each of the ports a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port. Data traffic communicated between the master switch and RPIs is queued within virtual ports that correspond to the RPIs on lower tier entities with which the data traffic is communicated. The master switch enforces priority-based flow control (PFC) on data traffic of a given virtual port by transmitting, to a lower tier entity on which a corresponding RPI resides, a PFC data frame specifying priorities for at least two different classes of data traffic communicated by the particular RPI. | 11-15-2012 |
20120287926 | MULTI-ROLE DISTRIBUTED LINE CARD - A switch includes network ports and a network processor with a fabric interface that provides SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) channels. The network processor divides each packet received over the network ports into cells and distributes the cells across the SerDes channels. Fabric ports of the switch communicate with the fabric interface to transmit cells to and receive cells from the fabric interface. The switch is selectively configurable as a standalone switch by connecting each fabric port of the switch to another of the fabric ports of the switch, as a member of a switch stack by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different other switch through one fabric port of that other switch, or as a member of a distributed fabric system by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis by an SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis. | 11-15-2012 |
20120287939 | DISTRIBUTED FABRIC PROTOCOL (DFP) SWITCHING NETWORK ARCHITECTURE - A switching network includes an upper tier including a master switch and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities. The master switch includes a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of lower tier entities. Each of the plurality of ports includes a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port. Each of the plurality of ports also includes a receive interface that, responsive to receipt of data traffic from a particular lower tier entity among the plurality of lower tier entities, queues the data traffic to the virtual port among the plurality of virtual ports that corresponds to the RPI on the particular lower tier entity that was the source of the data traffic. The master switch further includes a switch controller that switches data traffic from the virtual port to an egress port among the plurality of ports from which the data traffic is forwarded. | 11-15-2012 |
20120294314 | DUAL-ROLE MODULAR SCALED-OUT FABRIC COUPLER CHASSIS - A scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis includes a plurality of root fabric cards installed on the one side of the SFC chassis. Each root fabric card has a plurality of electrical connectors. A plurality of line cards is installed on the opposite side of the SFC chassis. Each line card is one of two types of line cards. One of the two types of line cards is a switch-based network line card having network ports for connecting to servers and switches. The other of the two types of line cards is a leaf fabric card having fabric ports for connecting to a fabric port of a network element. Each of the two types of the line cards has electrical connectors that mate with one electrical connector of each root fabric card installed in the chassis. | 11-22-2012 |
20120320739 | Fault Tolerant Communication in a Trill Network - Each of first and second bridges of a data network having respective external links to an external node implement a network bridge component that forwards traffic inside the network and a virtual bridge component that forwards traffic outside of the network. A virtual bridge is formed including the virtual bridge components of the first and second bridges and an interswitch link (ISL) between the virtual bridge components of the first and second bridges. Data frames are redirected via the ISL in response to a link-down condition of one of the external links. | 12-20-2012 |
20120320749 | DATA TRAFFIC HANDLING IN A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC PROTOCOL (DFP) SWITCHING NETWORK ARCHITECTURE - A switching network includes an upper tier having a master switch and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities. The master switch, which has a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective lower tier entity, implements on each of the ports a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port. Data traffic communicated between the master switch and RPIs is queued within virtual ports that correspond to the RPIs with which the data traffic is communicated. The master switch applies data handling to the data traffic in accordance with a control policy based at least upon the virtual port in which the data traffic is queued, such that the master switch applies different policies to data traffic queued to two virtual ports on the same port of the master switch. | 12-20-2012 |
20120320800 | Mac Learning in a Trill Network - A switch of a data network implements both a bridge and a virtual bridge. In response to receipt of a data frame by the switch from an external link, the switch performs a lookup in a data structure using a source media access control (SMAC) address specified by the data frame. The switch determines if the external link is configured in a link aggregation group (LAG) and if the SMAC address is newly learned. In response to a determination that the external link is configured in a LAG and the SMAC address is newly learned, the switch associates the SMAC with the virtual bridge and communicates the association to a plurality of bridges in the data network. | 12-20-2012 |
20120320926 | Distributed Link Aggregation Group (LAG) for a Layer 2 Fabic - Each of first and second bridges of a data network having respective links to an external node implement a network bridge component that forwards traffic inside the data network and a virtual bridge component that forwards traffic outside of the data network. A virtual bridge is formed including the virtual bridge components of the first and second bridges and an interswitch link (ISL) between the virtual bridge components of the first and second bridges. Data frames are communicated with each of multiple external network nodes outside the data network via a respective one of multiple link aggregation groups all commonly supported by the virtual bridge. | 12-20-2012 |
20130022050 | DISTRIBUTED FABRIC PROTOCOL (DFP) SWITCHING NETWORK ARCHITECTURE - A switching network includes an upper tier including a master switch and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities. The master switch includes a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of lower tier entities. Each port includes a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port. Each port also includes a receive interface that, responsive to data traffic from a particular lower tier entity, queues the data traffic to the virtual port that corresponds to the RPI on the particular lower tier entity that was the source of the data traffic. The master switch further includes a switch controller that switches data traffic from the virtual port to an egress port from which the data traffic is forwarded. | 01-24-2013 |
20130070761 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A NETWORK SWITCH - Systems and methods are provided for controlling a network switch. At least one forwarding element of the distributed switch is positioned at a first location of a network. A control element of the distributed switch is positioned at a second location of the network. The at least one forwarding element is controlled from the control element by establishing a communication between the forwarding element and the control element via the network. | 03-21-2013 |
20130088959 | CREDIT-BASED NETWORK CONGESTION MANAGEMENT - A switching network includes first, second and third switches coupled for communication, such that the first and third switches communicate data traffic via the second switch. The first switch is operable to request transmission credits from the third switch, receive the transmission credits from the third switch and perform transmission of data traffic in reference to the transmission credits. The third switch is operable to receive the request for transmission credits from the first switch, generate the transmission credits and transmit the transmission credits to the first switch via the second switch. The second switch is operable to modify the transmission credits transmitted by the third switch prior to receipt of the transmission credits at the first switch. | 04-11-2013 |
20130088969 | NETWORK TRAFFIC DISTRIBUTION - A switch for a switching network includes a plurality of ports for communicating data traffic and a switch controller that controls switching between the plurality of ports. The switch controller selects a forwarding path for the data traffic based on at least topological congestion information for the switching network. In a preferred embodiment, the topological congestion information includes sFlow topological congestion information and the switch controller includes an sFlow client that receives the sFlow topological congestion information from an sFlow controller in the switching network. | 04-11-2013 |
20130089089 | NETWORK SWITCHING DOMAINS WITH A VIRTUALIZED CONTROL PLANE - A distributed switching fabric system includes multiple network switches coupled to a cell-based switching fabric by cell-fabric ports. A virtual machine runs on a server connected to a network port of one or more of the network switches that are members of a given switching domain. The virtual machine manages a control plane for the given switching domain. The server receives a protocol control packet from one of the network switches and forwards the received protocol control packet to the virtual machine for processing. | 04-11-2013 |
20130089101 | CREDIT-BASED NETWORK CONGESTION MANAGEMENT - A switching network includes first, second and third switches coupled for communication, such that the first and third switches communicate data traffic via the second switch. The first switch is operable to request transmission credits from the third switch, receive the transmission credits from the third switch and perform transmission of data traffic in reference to the transmission credits. The third switch is operable to receive the request for transmission credits from the first switch, generate the transmission credits and transmit the transmission credits to the first switch via the second switch. The second switch is operable to modify the transmission credits transmitted by the third switch prior to receipt of the transmission credits at the first switch. | 04-11-2013 |
20130100858 | DISTRIBUTED SWITCH SYSTEMS IN A TRILL NETWORK - Featured are a system and method for providing a distributed switch system (DSS) in a TRILL-compliant network. An ingress network device in the TRILL-compliant network provides data to a received packet. The data includes instructions related to a feature of the DSS. The instructions are inserted into a TRILL header generated at the ingress network device. The TRILL header is output to an egress network device in the TRILL-compliant network. A determination is made whether the ingress network device and the egress network device are members of the DSS. The instructions are processed by the egress network device in response to determining that ingress and egress devices are members of the DSS. | 04-25-2013 |
20130107709 | Distributed Chassis Architecture Having Integrated Service Appliances | 05-02-2013 |
20130107713 | DISTRIBUTED CHASSIS ARCHITECTURE HAVING INTEGRATED SERVICE APPLIANCES | 05-02-2013 |
20130148662 | MAC LEARNING IN A TRILL NETWORK - A switch of a data network implements both a bridge and a virtual bridge. In response to receipt of a data frame by the switch from an external link, the switch performs a lookup in a data structure using a source media access control (SMAC) address specified by the data frame. The switch determines if the external link is configured in a link aggregation group (LAG) and if the SMAC address is newly learned. In response to a determination that the external link is configured in a LAG and the SMAC address is newly learned, the switch associates the SMAC with the virtual bridge and communicates the association to a plurality of bridges in the data network. | 06-13-2013 |
20130170339 | Fault Tolerant Communication in a Trill Network - Each of first and second bridges of a data network having respective external links to an external node implement a network bridge component that forwards traffic inside the network and a virtual bridge component that forwards traffic outside of the network. A virtual bridge is formed including the virtual bridge components of the first and second bridges and an interswitch link (ISL) between the virtual bridge components of the first and second bridges. Data frames are redirected via the ISL in response to a link-down condition of one of the external links. | 07-04-2013 |
20130182571 | NETWORK TRAFFIC DISTRIBUTION - A switch for a switching network includes a plurality of ports for communicating data traffic and a switch controller that controls switching between the plurality of ports. The switch controller selects a forwarding path for the data traffic based on at least topological congestion information for the switching network. In a preferred embodiment, the topological congestion information includes sFlow topological congestion information and the switch controller includes an sFlow client that receives the sFlow topological congestion information from an sFlow controller in the switching network. | 07-18-2013 |
20130201868 | SWITCH DISCOVERY PROTOCOL FOR A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC SYSTEM - A distributed fabric system comprises a plurality of independent network elements interconnected by inter-switch links and assigned to a same group. Each network element includes one or more switching chips, a processor, and memory storing program code that is executed by the processor. The program code of each network element includes a switch discovery protocol (SDP) module. The SDP module of each network element, when executed, periodically multicasts SDP data units (SDPDUs) using one of a plurality of transmission rates. The plurality of transmission rates includes a fast transmission rate and a slow transmission rate. The transmission rate used by the SDP module of each network element is the fast transmission rate until the SDP module of that network element determines a criterion is met, in response to which the transmission rate used by the SDP module of that network element changes to the slow transmission rate. | 08-08-2013 |
20130201873 | DISTRIBUTED FABRIC MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL - A distributed fabric system comprises a plurality of independent network elements interconnected by inter-switch links and assigned to a same group. Each network element includes a switching chip, a processor, and memory storing program code that is executed by the processor. The program code of each network element includes a device configuration (DC) stacking module and a switch discovery protocol (SDP) module. The SDP module of each network element, when executed, discovers each other network element in the group and elects one of the network elements as a master network element. The SDP module of the master network element, when executed, sends messages to the DC-stacking module of the master network element. Each sent message identifies one of the network elements in the group. The DC stacking module of the master network element, when executed, maintains a record of all network elements that are currently members in the group. | 08-08-2013 |
20130201875 | DISTRIBUTED FABRIC MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL - A distributed fabric system comprises a plurality of independent network elements interconnected by inter-switch links and assigned to a same group. Each network element includes a switching chip, a processor, and memory storing program code that is executed by the processor. The program code of each network element includes a device configuration (DC) stacking module and a switch discovery protocol (SDP) module. The SDP module of each network element, when executed, discovers each other network element in the group and elects one of the network elements as a master network element. The SDP module of the master network element, when executed, sends messages to the DC-stacking module of the master network element. Each sent message identifies one of the network elements in the group. The DC stacking module of the master network element, when executed, maintains a record of all network elements that are currently members in the group. | 08-08-2013 |
20130201983 | SWITCH DISCOVERY PROTOCOL FOR A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC SYSTEM - A distributed fabric system comprises a plurality of independent network elements interconnected by inter-switch links and assigned to a same group. Each network element includes one or more switching chips, a processor, and memory storing program code that is executed by the processor. The program code of each network element includes a switch discovery protocol (SDP) module. The SDP module of each network element, when executed, periodically multicasts SDP data units (SDPDUs) using one of a plurality of transmission rates. The plurality of transmission rates includes a fast transmission rate and a slow transmission rate. The transmission rate used by the SDP module of each network element is the fast transmission rate until the SDP module of that network element determines a criterion is met, in response to which the transmission rate used by the SDP module of that network element changes to the slow transmission rate. | 08-08-2013 |
20130235735 | DIAGNOSTICS IN A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC SYSTEM - A distributed fabric system has distributed line card (DLC) chassis and scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis. Each DLC chassis includes a network processor and fabric ports. Each network processor of each DLC chassis includes a fabric interface in communication with the DLC fabric ports of that DLC chassis. Each SFC chassis includes a fabric element and fabric ports. A communication link connects each SFC fabric port to one DLC fabric port. Each communication link includes cell-carrying lanes. Each fabric element of each SFC chassis collects per-lane statistics for each SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis. Each SFC chassis includes program code that obtains the per-lane statistics collected by the fabric element chip of that SFC chassis. A network element includes program code that gathers the per-lane statistics collected by each fabric element of each SFC chassis and integrates the statistics into a topology of the entire distributed fabric system. | 09-12-2013 |
20130235762 | MANAGEMENT OF A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC SYSTEM - A distributed fabric system has distributed line card (DLC) chassis and scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis. Each DLC includes a network processor and fabric ports. Each network processor of each DLC includes a fabric interface in communication with the fabric ports of that DLC. Each SFC includes at least one fabric element and SFC fabric ports. A fabric communication link connects each SFC fabric port to one DLC fabric port. Each fabric communication link includes cell-carrying lanes. Each fabric element of each SFC detects connectivity between each SFC fabric port of that SFC and one DLC fabric port over a fabric communication link. Each SFC includes program code that reads connectivity matrix from fabric element chips and sends connection information corresponding to the detected connectivity from that SFC to a central agent. A network element includes the central agent, which, when executed, constructs a topology of the distributed fabric system from the connection information sent from each SFC. | 09-12-2013 |
20130235763 | MANAGEMENT OF A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC SYSTEM - A distributed fabric system has distributed line card (DLC) chassis and scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis. Each DLC includes a network processor and fabric ports. Each network processor includes a fabric interface in communication with the fabric ports of that DLC. Each SFC includes at least one fabric element and SFC fabric ports. A fabric communication link connects each SFC fabric port to one DLC fabric port. Each fabric communication link includes cell-carrying lanes. Each fabric element detects connectivity between each SFC fabric port of that SFC and one DLC fabric port over a fabric communication link. Each SFC reads a connectivity matrix from fabric element chips and sends connection information corresponding to the detected connectivity from that SFC to a central agent. A network element includes the central agent, which, when executed, constructs a topology of the distributed fabric system from the connection information sent from each SFC. | 09-12-2013 |
20130238771 | SNMP request processing within distributed device architecture - A distributed device architecture includes a master device and one or more member devices. A simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent of a master device receives an SNMP request from a managing device. Where the SNMP request pertains to a given member device, and where the SNMP request requires involvement of the given member device to fulfill the SNMP request, the master device generates a non-SNMP request corresponding to the SNMP request and transmits the non-SNMP request to the given member device. A non-SNMP agent of the given member device processes the non-SNMP request and transmits processing results back to the master device. The master device generates an SNMP response corresponding to the processing results, and the SNMP agent of the master device transmits the SNMP response back to the managing device. | 09-12-2013 |
20130242999 | Scalable Virtual Appliance Cloud (SVAC) and Methods Usable in an SVAC - According to one embodiment, a method for providing scalable virtual appliance cloud (SVAC) services includes receiving incoming data traffic having multiple packets directed toward a SVAC using at least one switching distributed line card (DLC), determining that a packet satisfies a condition of an access control list (ACL), designating a destination port to send the packet based on the condition of the ACL being satisfied, fragmenting the packet into cells, wherein the designated destination port is stored in a cell header of the cells, sending the cells to the destination port via at least one switch fabric controller (SFC), receiving the cells at a fabric interface of an appliance DLC, reassembling the cells into a second packet, performing one or more services on the second packet using the appliance DLC, and sending the second packet to its intended port. | 09-19-2013 |
20130247168 | Scalable Virtual Appliance Cloud (SVAC) and Devices Usable in an SVAC - According to one embodiment, a system includes a scalable virtual appliance cloud (SVAC) comprising: at least one distributed line card (DLC); at least one switch fabric coupler (SFC) in communication with the at least one DLC; and at least one controller in communication with the at least one DLC, wherein one or more of the at least one DLC is an appliance DLC, wherein one or more of the at least one SFC is a central SFC, and wherein the SVAC appears to a device external of the SVAC as a single appliance device applying various services to a traffic flow. | 09-19-2013 |
20130258899 | LAYER 2 PACKET SWITCHING WITHOUT LOOK-UP TABLE FOR ETHERNET SWITCHES - In one embodiment, a system includes at least one processor which includes logic configured for receiving a request to assign a media access control (MAC) address to a device on a port, logic configured for determining the MAC address to assign to the device based at least partially on the port, and logic configured for sending a response to the request with the MAC address. In another embodiment, a computer program product for assigning a MAC address includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code including computer readable program code configured for determining, without using a look-up table, a MAC address to assign to a device and computer readable program code configured for sending the MAC address to the device. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are presented according to more embodiments. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259038 | COMMUNICATION TRANSPORT PROTOCOL FOR DISTRIBUTED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURES - A communication protocol in a layer two (L2) network switch comprises, in response to a service request by a source node, registering the source node for packet communication service. The protocol further comprises forwarding one or more packets from the registered source node to one or more destination nodes. The protocol further comprises receiving packets from one or more destination nodes and forwarding each received packet to a corresponding registered node. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259040 | COMMUNICATION TRANSPORT PROTOCOL FOR DISTRIBUTED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURES - A communication protocol in a layer two (L2) network switch comprises, in response to a service request by a source node, registering the source node for packet communication service. The protocol further comprises forwarding one or more packets from the registered source node to one or more destination nodes. The protocol further comprises receiving packets from one or more destination nodes and forwarding each received packet to a corresponding registered node. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259048 | LAYER 2 PACKET SWITCHING WITHOUT LOOK-UP TABLE FOR ETHERNET SWITCHES - In one embodiment, a method for assigning a media access control (MAC) address includes receiving a request from a device for a MAC address at a port of a switching device, determining a MAC address to assign to the device based at least partially on the port, and responding to the request with the MAC address. In another embodiment, a method for retrieving a media access control (MAC) address includes sending a request for a MAC address to a MAC allocation server (MAAS), waiting a predetermined amount of time to receive a response to the request, wherein the response comprises the MAC address, and using the MAC address when the response to the request is received within the predetermined amount of time. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are presented according to more embodiments. | 10-03-2013 |
20130268694 | PASS-THROUGH CONVERGED NETWORK ADAPTOR (CNA) USING EXISTING ETHERNET SWITCHING DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a switch system includes a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface block coupled to a plurality of PCIe ports, the plurality of PCIe ports being adapted for coupling to one or more external PCIe devices, wherein the PCIe interface block includes logic adapted for providing direct memory access (DMA) for each PCIe lane thereof, multiple switched Ethernet ports adapted for coupling to one or more external Ethernet devices, switching logic adapted for switching between the multiple switched Ethernet ports and the plurality of PCIe ports, and a local processor coupled to the PCIe interface block. The external host includes a pass-through PCIe adaptor coupled to the switch system via a PCIe port. Other systems, computer program products, and methods are described according to more embodiments. | 10-10-2013 |
20130272303 | PACKET SWITCHING WITHOUT LOOK-UP TABLE FOR ETHERNET SWITCHES - In one embodiment, a method for packet switching includes receiving a packet, wherein the packet comprises a header and a payload; determining, without using a look-up table, a destination port based on a destination address stored in the header; and sending the packet to the destination port. | 10-17-2013 |
20130272304 | PACKET SWITCHING WITHOUT LOOK-UP TABLE FOR ETHERNET SWITCHES - In one embodiment, a system includes a switching processor that includes logic configured for receiving a packet having a header and a payload, logic configured for determining, without using a look-up table, a destination port based on a destination address stored in the header, and logic configured for sending the packet to the destination port. In another embodiment, a system includes a processor adapted for executing logic, logic configured for creating an address allocation table having a plurality of values, each value being associated with a plurality of interne protocol (IP) addresses which, when an algorithm is applied thereto, result in the associated value, logic configured for receiving a request for an IP address from a device electrically connected to a switch, and logic configured for determining a port to which the device is electrically connected to the switch based on the port on which the request is received. | 10-17-2013 |
20130287022 | PROVIDING SERVICES TO VIRTUAL OVERLAY NETWORK TRAFFIC - According to one embodiment, a method for providing services to network traffic on a virtual overlay network includes receiving network traffic comprising a plurality of packets, determining whether the plurality of packets comprise an overlay header, terminating a tunnel and de-encapsulating inner packets of packets comprising an overlay header, performing services on the plurality of packets or the de-encapsulated inner packets, and originating a tunnel and encapsulating the serviced inner packets or the serviced packets with an overlay header to be switched to a destination address in a virtual network and sending the encapsulated packets, or sending the serviced packets without encapsulating the packets with an overlay header to be switched to a destination address in a non-virtual network. | 10-31-2013 |
20130287036 | PROVIDING SERVICES TO VIRTUAL OVERLAY NETWORK TRAFFIC - According to one embodiment, a system includes an overlay network device which includes an interface adapted for electrically communicating with a virtual overlay network (VON) gateway, logic adapted for receiving a plurality of packets from the VON gateway, logic adapted for determining whether the plurality of packets comprise an overlay header, logic adapted for de-encapsulating inner packets of packets comprising an overlay header, logic adapted for performing services on the plurality of packets or the de-encapsulated inner packets, and logic adapted for encapsulating the serviced inner packets or the serviced packets with an overlay header to be switched to a destination address in a virtual network and sending the encapsulated packets to the VON gateway or logic adapted for sending the serviced packets to the VON gateway without encapsulating the packets with an overlay header to be switched to a destination address in a non-virtual network. | 10-31-2013 |
20130315233 | LARGE DISTRIBUTED FABRIC-BASED SWITCH USING VIRTUAL SWITCHES AND VIRTUAL CONTROLLERS - In one embodiment, a system includes at least one distributed line card (DLC) in electrical communication with at least one switch fabric coupler (SFC) and a meta-controller in electrical communication with the at least one DLC, the meta-controller including a processor for executing logic, logic configured for creating more than one virtual switch and a corresponding virtual control domain (VCD) associated with each virtual switch, wherein each virtual switch includes a plurality of physical ports of one or more of the at least one DLC, and logic configured for autonomously controlling the virtual switches, wherein the system appears to a device external of the system as a single cell switched domain. Other systems are described according to more embodiments. | 11-28-2013 |
20130315234 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING LARGE DISTRIBUTED FABRIC-BASED SWITCH USING VIRTUAL SWITCHES AND VIRTUAL CONTROLLERS - In one embodiment, a method includes splitting a plurality of physical ports distributed across multiple distributed line cards (DLCs) into a plurality of virtual switches, wherein each virtual switch comprises ports of one or more DLC, creating a virtual control domain (VCD) associated with each virtual switch, and autonomously controlling the virtual switches, wherein each DLC is in electrical communication with at least one switch fabric coupler (SFC), and wherein the plurality of physical ports appear to external devices as being part of a single cell switched domain. Other systems and methods are described according to more embodiments. | 11-28-2013 |
20130343395 | DISTRIBUTED ROUTING MECHANISMS FOR A VIRTUAL SWITCH ENABLED BY A TRILL-BASED FABRIC - In one embodiment, a system includes a routing protocol engine (RPE) RBridge which includes a local uplink port adapted to be coupled to a router, a local processor for executing logic, logic adapted for receiving a data frame at the local uplink port, logic adapted for running routing protocols to enable L3 processing of the data frame, and logic adapted for configuring learned routes and routes passed from another RPE RBridge in the local processor. In more embodiments, methods for providing L3 processing in a TRILL-enabled network include receiving a data frame at a local uplink port of a RBridge enabled with a RPE to enable L3 processing, running routing protocols to provide L3 processing of the data frame, and configuring learned routes and routes passed from any other RPE RBridges. The RPE RBridge may be connected to a router or to a first server and a second server. | 12-26-2013 |
20140010096 | PORT MIRRORING IN DISTRIBUTED SWITCHING SYSTEMS - Port mirroring in a clustered network may be performed between a local switch and a remote switch. A port in the remote switch may be designated a mirrored port where data traffic passing there through can be copied and sent to a mirror-to-port on the local switch. In a virtual local area network (VLAN) environment, data frames of the copied traffic may include a VLAN header identifying the local switch so that routing of the data frames through the network may direct the data frames for monitoring at the local switch. | 01-09-2014 |
20140050216 | RELAYING FRAMES IN A LARGE LAYER 2 NETWORK FABRIC - A network fabric includes interconnected network nodes, each having access to a database containing predetermined paths from each network node to each other network node in the network fabric. Each network node determines, in response to an incoming frame, whether the frame is a fabric protocol data unit (PDU) having a header containing path attributes including a destination node address. If the frame is a fabric PDU, the node selects a first path to the destination node from the database, and forwards the fabric PDU to a next hop in accordance with the selected path. If the frame is not a fabric PDU, the node selects a second path through the network fabric to the destination node from the database, adds the header with the path attributes to the frame to produce the fabric PDU, and forwards the fabric PDU to the next hop in accordance with the second path. | 02-20-2014 |
20140052771 | REMOTE PROCEDURE CALL FOR A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM - A distributed system includes first-tier entities, and a master entity in communication with each first-tier entity. The master entity provides a single access point through which an administrator can submit commands to manage all entities. The master entity maintains a table of virtual slots. Each virtual slot points to one of the first-tier entities, and each first-tier entity is pointed to by at least one virtual slot. The processor runs an RPC (remote procedure call) client to submit RPC requests to the first-tier entities, and determines a destination first-tier entity for a given RPC request in response to which virtual slot the administrator submits a command. The distributed system can include second-tier entities, each indirectly communicating with the master entity through a first-tier entity. The table has a virtual slot for each second-tier entity, which points to the first-tier entity acting as proxy for the second-tier entity. | 02-20-2014 |
20140056152 | PORT MIRRORING IN DISTRIBUTED SWITCHING SYSTEMS - Port mirroring in a clustered network may be performed between a local switch and a remote switch. A port in the remote switch may be designated a mirrored port where data traffic passing there through can be copied and sent to a mirror-to-port on the local switch. In a virtual local area network (VLAN) environment, data frames of the copied traffic may include a VLAN header identifying the local switch so that routing of the data frames through the network may direct the data frames for monitoring at the local switch. | 02-27-2014 |
20140059529 | NON-DISRUPTIVE SOFTWARE UPDATES FOR SERVERS PROCESSING NETWORK TRAFFIC - Updating software on first and second network controller entities (NCEs), without disrupting traffic processing, comprises resetting the second NCE after it receives a proposed software version from the first NCE. The second NCE runs the proposed software version in a standby role. While the second NCE runs the proposed software version in the standby role, databases of the NCEs stay synchronized. Resetting the first NCE induces the second NCE to assume the master role, and the first NCE to assume the standby role. The second NCE in the master role tests the proposed software version for a predetermined period. If validation succeeds, the second NCE instructs the first NCE to reboot and run the proposed software version in the standby role. Otherwise, the second NCE reverts to running the current software version in the standby role; and the first NCE, running the current software version, reverts to the master role. | 02-27-2014 |
20140059530 | NON-DISRUPTIVE SOFTWARE UPDATES FOR SERVERS PROCESSING NETWORK TRAFFIC - Updating software on first and second network controller entities (NCEs), without disrupting traffic processing, comprises resetting the second NCE after it receives a proposed software version from the first NCE. The second NCE runs the proposed software version in a standby role. While the second NCE runs the proposed software version in the standby role, databases of the NCEs stay synchronized. Resetting the first NCE induces the second NCE to assume the master role, and the first NCE to assume the standby role. The second NCE in the master role tests the proposed software version for a predetermined period. If validation succeeds, the second NCE instructs the first NCE to reboot and run the proposed software version in the standby role. Otherwise, the second NCE reverts to running the current software version in the standby role; and the first NCE, running the current software version, reverts to the master role. | 02-27-2014 |
20140064105 | DIAGNOSTICS IN A DISTRIBUTED FABRIC SYSTEM - A distributed fabric system has distributed line card (DLC) chassis and scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis. Each DLC chassis includes a network processor and fabric ports. Each network processor of each DLC chassis includes a fabric interface in communication with the DLC fabric ports of that DLC chassis. Each SFC chassis includes a fabric element and fabric ports. A communication link connects each SFC fabric port to one DLC fabric port. Each communication link includes cell-carrying lanes. Each fabric element of each SFC chassis collects per-lane statistics for each SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis. Each SFC chassis includes program code that obtains the per-lane statistics collected by the fabric element chip of that SFC chassis. A network element includes program code that gathers the per-lane statistics collected by each fabric element of each SFC chassis and integrates the statistics into a topology of the entire distributed fabric system. | 03-06-2014 |
20140064274 | RELAYING FRAMES IN A LARGE LAYER 2 NETWORK FABRIC - A network fabric includes interconnected network nodes, each having access to a database containing predetermined paths from each network node to each other network node in the network fabric. Each network node determines, in response to an incoming frame, whether the frame is a fabric protocol data unit (PDU) having a header containing path attributes including a destination node address. If the frame is a fabric PDU, the node selects a first path to the destination node from the database, and forwards the fabric PDU to a next hop in accordance with the selected path. If the frame is not a fabric PDU, the node selects a second path through the network fabric to the destination node from the database, adds the header with the path attributes to the frame to produce the fabric PDU, and forwards the fabric PDU to the next hop in accordance with the second path. | 03-06-2014 |
20140067924 | REMOTE PROCEDURE CALL FOR A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM - A distributed system includes first-tier entities, and a master entity in communication with each first-tier entity. The master entity provides a single access point through which an administrator can submit commands to manage all entities. The master entity maintains a table of virtual slots. Each virtual slot points to one of the first-tier entities, and each first-tier entity is pointed to by at least one virtual slot. The processor runs an RPC (remote procedure call) client to submit RPC requests to the first-tier entities, and determines a destination first-tier entity for a given RPC request in response to which virtual slot the administrator submits a command. The distributed system can include second-tier entities, each indirectly communicating with the master entity through a first-tier entity. The table has a virtual slot for each second-tier entity, which points to the first-tier entity acting as proxy for the second-tier entity. | 03-06-2014 |
20140079075 | SEGMENTATION AND REASSEMBLY OF NETWORK PACKETS FOR SWITCHED FABRIC NETWORKS - Reassembly of member cells into a packet comprises receiving an incoming member cell of a packet from a switching fabric wherein each member cell comprises a segment of the packet and a header, generating a reassembly key using selected information from the incoming member cell header wherein the selected information is the same for all member cells of the packet, checking a reassembly table in a content addressable memory to find an entry that includes a logic key matching the reassembly key, and using a content index in the found entry and a sequence number of the incoming member cell within the packet, to determine a location offset in a reassembly buffer area for storing the incoming member cell at said location offset in the reassembly buffer area for the packet for reassembly. | 03-20-2014 |
20140079076 | SEGMENTATION AND REASSEMBLY OF NETWORK PACKETS - Reassembly of fragments into a packet comprises receiving an incoming fragment of a packet from a network wherein each fragment comprises a segment of the packet and a header, generating a reassembly key using selected information from the incoming fragment header wherein the selected information is the same for all fragments of the packet, checking a reassembly table in a content addressable memory to find an entry that includes a logic key matching the reassembly key, and using a content index in the found entry and a sequence number of the incoming fragment within the packet, to determine a location offset in a reassembly buffer area for storing the incoming fragment at said location offset in the reassembly buffer area for the packet for reassembly. | 03-20-2014 |
20140098820 | CENTRALIZED CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT PLANES FOR DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT SWITCHING DOMAINS - A network includes a first switching domain having a distributed fabric comprised of interconnected standalone switches. The standalone switches communicate with each other in accordance with a packet-based distributed fabric protocol. A second switching domain has a plurality of cell-based switches in communication with a cell-based switch fabric. The cell-based switches communicate with each other through the cell-based switch fabric in accordance with a cell-based distributed fabric protocol. One of the cell-based switches is coupled by a communication link to one of the standalone switches of the first switching domain. The second switching domain includes a server device coupled to one of the cell-based switches. The server device is configured with logic to process control packets for the standalone switches in accordance with the packet-based distributed fabric protocol and control packets for the cell-based switches in accordance with a protocol that is different from the packet-based distributed fabric protocol. | 04-10-2014 |
20140101649 | VIRTUAL MACHINE BASED CONTROLLER AND UPGRADE MECHANISM - High availability for a network may be achieved, for example, during a hitless upgrade by creating a replica controller virtual machine of an operating controller virtual machine (source controller). The replica controller virtual machine may be on a same or different server as the source controller virtual machine. The replica controller virtual machine may be copied with processes present in the source controller virtual machine and synchronized for runtime state. Upgrades or changes to software applications run in the source controller virtual machine may be provided to the replica controller virtual machine. Once enabled, the replica controller virtual machine may be operated without suspension of the source controller virtual machine. | 04-10-2014 |
20140101652 | VIRTUAL MACHINE BASED CONTROLLER AND UPGRADE MECHANISM - High availability for a network may be achieved, for example, during a hitless upgrade by creating a replica controller virtual machine of an operating controller virtual machine (source controller). The replica controller virtual machine may be on a same or different server as the source controller virtual machine. The replica controller virtual machine may be copied with processes present in the source controller virtual machine and synchronized for runtime state. Upgrades or changes to software applications run in the source controller virtual machine may be provided to the replica controller virtual machine. Once enabled, the replica controller virtual machine may be operated without suspension of the source controller virtual machine. | 04-10-2014 |
20140146708 | VIRTUAL SWITCHING PORTS ON HIGH-BANDWIDTH LINKS - Method and apparatus for managing traffic of a switch include logically partitioning a physical port of the switch into a plurality of virtual ports. One or more virtual output queues are uniquely associated with each virtual port. Switching resources of the switch are assigned to each of the virtual ports. A source virtual port is derived from a frame arriving at the physical port. The frame is placed in a given one of the one or more virtual output queues uniquely associated with the source virtual port derived from the frame. A destination virtual port for the frame is determined. The frame is transferred from the virtual output queue in which the frame is placed to an egress queue associated with the destination virtual port and forwarded from the egress queue to a destination physical port of the switch. | 05-29-2014 |
20140201307 | CACHING OF LOOK-UP RULES BASED ON FLOW HEURISTICS TO ENABLE HIGH SPEED LOOK-UP - According to one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of ports adapted for connecting to external devices and a switching processor. The switching processor includes a packet processor which includes a look-up interface, fetch and refresh logic (LIFRL) module and a packet processor logic (PPL) module adapted to operate in parallel, an internal look-up table cache including a plurality of look-up entries, each relating to a traffic flow which has been or is anticipated to be received by the switching processor, and a traffic manager module including a buffer memory which is connected to the plurality of ports. The LIFRL module is adapted for accessing the internal look-up table cache, the PPL module is adapted for communicating with the traffic manager module and the buffer memory, and the LIFRL module is adapted for communicating with one or more external look-up tables. | 07-17-2014 |
20140219286 | MULTI-ROLE DISTRIBUTED LINE CARD - A switch includes network ports and a network processor with a fabric interface that provides SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) channels. The network processor divides each packet received over the network ports into cells and distributes the cells across the SerDes channels. Fabric ports of the switch communicate with the fabric interface to transmit cells to and receive cells from the fabric interface. The switch is selectively configurable as a standalone switch by connecting each fabric port of the switch to another of the fabric ports of the switch, as a member of a switch stack by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different other switch through one fabric port of that other switch, or as a member of a distributed fabric system by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis by an SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis. | 08-07-2014 |
20140254607 | CENTRALIZED CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT PLANES FOR DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT SWITCHING DOMAINS - A network includes a first switching domain having a distributed fabric comprised of interconnected standalone switches. The standalone switches communicate with each other in accordance with a packet-based distributed fabric protocol. A second switching domain has a plurality of cell-based switches in communication with a cell-based switch fabric. The cell-based switches communicate with each other through the cell-based switch fabric in accordance with a cell-based distributed fabric protocol. One of the cell-based switches is coupled by a communication link to one of the standalone switches of the first switching domain. The second switching domain includes a server device coupled to one of the cell-based switches. The server device is configured with logic to process control packets for the standalone switches in accordance with the packet-based distributed fabric protocol and control packets for the cell-based switches in accordance with a protocol that is different from the packet-based distributed fabric protocol. | 09-11-2014 |
20140280827 | SCALABLE DISTRIBUTED CONTROL PLANE FOR NETWORK SWITCHING SYSTEMS - In one embodiment, a networking system includes a physical switch and a scalable and distributed virtual control plane. The switch is adapted to receive a first packet, classify the first packet to produce a packet classification, generate a second packet based on the first packet, and forward the second packet. The scalable and distributed virtual control plane has a physical host server adapted to host a plurality of virtual machines (VMs), each VM providing a control plane for a particular protocol, and a network connecting the switch to the server. In addition, the plurality of VMs are adapted to receive the second packet, retrieve information about the first packet, handle processing of the first packet using the information to obtain forwarding information, encapsulate the first packet into a third packet including the forwarding information, and forward the third packet according to the forwarding information. | 09-18-2014 |
20140280841 | SCALABLE DISTRIBUTED CONTROL PLANE FOR NETWORK SWITCHING SYSTEMS - Various aspects relate to processing a first networking packet within a networking system. In one embodiment, a first networking packet is received and classified to produce a packet classification. A second networking packet is generated based on the first networking packet, and forwarded. The second networking packet is received using a physical host server, where the physical host server is adapted to host a plurality of virtual machines (VMs), each VM being configured to provide a control plane for a particular protocol. The second networking packet is received and decapsulated using a VM hosted by the physical host server to retrieve information about the first networking packet. Using the VM, the first networking packet is processed using the information about the first networking packet to obtain forwarding information. Using the VM, the first networking packet is encapsulated into a third networking packet comprising the forwarding information; and forwarded. | 09-18-2014 |
20140334498 | LAYER 2 PACKET SWITCHING WITHOUT LOOK-UP TABLE FOR ETHERNET SWITCHES - In one embodiment, a system includes at least one processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the at least one processor, the logic being configured to receive, by the at least one processor, a request to assign a media access control (MAC) address to a device on a port, determine, by the at least one processor, the MAC address to assign to the device based at least partially on the port, and send, by the at least one processor, a response to the request with the MAC address. According to a further embodiment, the logic may be configured to create a MAC address allocation table that includes a plurality of hash values, each hash value being associated with one port and a plurality of MAC addresses, wherein the assigned MAC address is one of the MAC addresses associated with the port in the MAC address allocation table. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337453 | SNMP request processing within distributed device architecture - A distributed device architecture includes a master device and one or more member devices. A simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent of a master device receives an SNMP request from a managing device. Where the SNMP request pertains to a given member device, and where the SNMP request requires involvement of the given member device to fulfill the SNMP request, the master device generates a non-SNMP request corresponding to the SNMP request and transmits the non-SNMP request to the given member device. A non-SNMP agent of the given member device processes the non-SNMP request and transmits processing results back to the master device. The master device generates an SNMP response corresponding to the processing results, and the SNMP agent of the master device transmits the SNMP response back to the managing device. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337559 | PASS-THROUGH CONVERGED NETWORK ADAPTOR (CNA) USING EXISTING ETHERNET SWITCHING DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a switch system includes an external host connected via a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) port to a switch system, the external host being configured to perform functionality of a management plane and a control plane for the switch system, the external host having a processor. In another embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code including computer readable program code configured to perform functionality of a management plane and a control plane for a switch system using a processor of an external host. Other systems, computer program products, and methods are described according to more embodiments. | 11-13-2014 |
20140362862 | PACKET SWITCHING WITHOUT LOOK-UP TABLE FOR ETHERNET SWITCHES - In one embodiment, a system includes a switching processor and logic integrated with the switching processor, the logic being configured to receive a packet, wherein the packet comprises a header and a payload, determine, without using a look-up table, a destination port based on a destination address stored in the header, and send the packet to the destination port. In another embodiment, a system includes logic integrated with and/or executable by a processor, the logic being configured to create an address allocation table comprising a plurality of values, each value being associated with a plurality of IP addresses which, when an algorithm is applied thereto, result in the associated value, receive a request for an IP address from a device electrically connected to a switch, and determine a port to which the device is electrically connected to the switch based on the port on which the request is received. | 12-11-2014 |
20150078389 | SEGMENTATION AND REASSEMBLY OF NETWORK PACKETS FOR SWITCHED FABRIC NETWORKS - Reassembly of member cells into a packet comprises receiving an incoming member cell of a packet from a switching fabric wherein each member cell comprises a segment of the packet and a header, generating a reassembly key using selected information from the incoming member cell header wherein the selected information is the same for all member cells of the packet, checking a reassembly table in a content addressable memory to find an entry that includes a logic key matching the reassembly key, and using a content index in the found entry and a sequence number of the incoming member cell within the packet, to determine a location offset in a reassembly buffer area for storing the incoming member cell at said location offset in the reassembly buffer area for the packet for reassembly. | 03-19-2015 |