System and method for providing U-space aligned intelligent VLAN and port mapping

• US 10,122,585 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Masuyama, Jinsaku, Ahmed, Sajjad S., Palmer, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vostal, O. C.
• Application Number:
  US14/617,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/342 between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities

Abstract

A server rack includes a mapping module having management ports that are each uniquely associated with and collocated with a rack unit of the server rack, a server installed in a rack unit of the server rack having a host port and a management controller coupled to a management port, and a rack switch including a first switch port coupled to the host port. The management module provides an indication to the mapping module that the host port is an active port, and the mapping module directs the rack switch to query the switch port to determine if the switch port is coupled to the active port in response to receiving the indication, receives a second indication that the switch port is coupled to the active port, and provides a network map for the server rack that indicates that the host port is coupled to the switch port.

Claims

1. A server rack comprising:

a rack management controller (RMC) coupled to a plurality of rack service ports, wherein each rack service port is uniquely associated with a rack unit of the server rack and is located adjacent to the associated rack unit;

a first server installed in a first rack unit of the server rack and including;

a first server host port;

a first server service port; and

a first service processor coupled to a first rack service port associated with the first rack unit via the first server service port, wherein the first service processor provides a first indication to the RMC that the first server host port is a first active port; and

a rack switch including a first switch host port coupled to the first server host port;

wherein the RMC;

directs the rack switch to query the first switch host port to determine if the first switch host port is coupled to the first active port in response to receiving the first indication;

receives from the rack switch a second indication that the first host switch port is coupled to the first active port; and

provides a network map for the server rack that indicates that the first server host port is coupled to the first switch host port based upon the second indication.

2. The server rack of claim 1, wherein the first indication includes first information that identifies the first server host port.

3. The server rack of claim 2, wherein the first information includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the first host port.

4. The server rack of claim 2, wherein the first information includes a MAC address that is associated with a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN).

5. The server rack of claim 4, further comprising:

a second server installed in a second rack unit of the server rack and including;

a second server host port;

a second server service port; and

a second service processor coupled to a second rack service port associated with the second rack unit via the second server service port, wherein the second service processor provides a third indication to the RMC that the second server host port is a second active port;

wherein the rack switch includes a second switch host port coupled to the second server host port;

wherein the RMC further;

directs the rack switch to query the second switch host port to determine if the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port in response to receiving the third indication;

receives from the rack switch a fourth indication that the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port; and

updates the network map to indicate that the second server host port is coupled to the second switch host port based upon the fourth indication.

6. The server rack of claim 5, wherein the third indication includes second information including the MAC that is associated with the VLAN.

7. The server rack of claim 6, wherein the RMC further:

receives from the first service processor a fifth indication that the VLAN is no longer associated with the first server host port; and

directs the rack switch to query the second switch host port to determine if the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port in further response to receiving the fifth indication.

8. The server rack of claim 1, wherein the RMC further:

determines the location of the first server based upon the first service processor being coupled to the first rack service port via the first server service port.

9. A method comprising:

providing, from a first service processor of a first server in a server rack, to a rack management controller (RMC) of the server rack, a first indication that a first server host port of the first server is a first active port, wherein the RMC is coupled to a plurality of rack service ports, wherein each rack service port is uniquely associated with a rack unit of the server rack and is located adjacent to the associated rack unit;

directing, by the RMC, a rack switch of the server rack to query a first switch host port of the rack switch to determine if the first switch host port is coupled to the first active port in response to receiving the first indication;

receiving, from the rack switch, a second indication that the first switch host port is coupled to the first active port; and

providing, by the RMC, a network map for the server rack that indicates that the first server host port is coupled to the first switch host port based upon the second indication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first indication includes first information that identifies the first host port.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first information includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the first host port.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first information includes a MAC address that is associated with a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN).

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing, from a second service processor of a second server in the server rack, to the RMC, a third indication that a second server host port of the second server is a second active port;

directing, by the RMC, the rack switch to query a second switch host port of the rack switch to determine if the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port in response to receiving the third indication;

receiving, from the rack switch, a fourth indication that the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port; and

updating, by the RMC, the network map to indicate that the second server host port is coupled to the second switch host port based upon the fourth indication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third indication includes second information including the MAC that is associated with the VLAN.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the RMC from the first service processor, a fifth indication that the VLAN is no longer associated with the first server host port;

wherein directing the rack switch to query the second switch host port to determine if the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port is in further response to receiving the fifth indication.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the RMC, the location of the first server based upon the first service processor being coupled to the first rack service port via the first server service port.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

providing, from a first service processor of a first server in a server rack, to a rack management controller (RMC) of the server rack, a first indication that a first server host port of the first server is a first active port, wherein the RMC is coupled to a plurality of rack service ports, wherein each rack service port is uniquely associated with a rack unit of the server rack and is located adjacent to the associated rack unit;

directing a rack switch of the server rack to query a first switch host port of the rack switch to determine if the first switch host port is coupled to the first active port in response to receiving the first indication;

receiving a second indication that the first switch host port is coupled to the first active port; and

providing a network map for the server rack that indicates that the first server host port is coupled to the first switch host port based upon the second indication.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first indication includes first information that includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address that is associated with a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN).

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

providing, from a second service processor of a second server in the server rack, to the RMC, a third indication that a second server host port of the second server is a second active port;

directing the rack switch to query a second switch host port of the rack switch to determine if the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port in response to receiving the third indication;

receiving a fourth indication that the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port; and

updating the network map to indicate that the second server host port is coupled to the second switch host port based upon the fourth indication.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the third indication includes second information including the MAC that is associated with the VLAN, the method further comprising:

receiving a fifth indication that the VLAN is no longer associated with the first server host port;

wherein directing the rack switch to query the second switch host port to determine if the second switch host port is coupled to the second active port is in further response to receiving the fifth indication.