Virtual port channel bounce in overlay network

• US 10,225,179 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chu, Kit Chiu, Edsall, Thomas J., Yadav, Navindra, Matus, Francisco M., Doddapaneni, Krishna, Sinha, Satyam
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asefa, Debebe A
• Application Number:
  US15/369,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20170085469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 : Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 : Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7453 : using hashing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 : by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 : Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 : using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 : Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 : using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure provide methods for avoiding a packet bounce event in a virtual port channel (VPC). A method of the technology can include steps for detecting a link failure event (e.g., between a first network device and a destination node), and receiving a data packet addressed to the destination node. In some implementations, the method can additionally include steps for rewriting encapsulation information of the first data packet. Systems and computer-readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, by a first network device in a virtual port channel, a link failure between the first network device and a destination node;

receiving, by the first network device, a first data packet addressed to the destination node;

in response to detecting the link failure, forwarding the first data packet to a second network device, wherein the second network device is paired with the first network device in the virtual port channel; and

rewriting encapsulation information of the first data packet to include an indication of an initial packet bounce of the first data packet.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the first data packet comprises:

updating the encapsulation information to include an address of the second network device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein rewriting the encapsulation information further comprises:

transmitting the first data packet to the second network device for forwarding to the destination node.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein rewriting the encapsulation information further comprises modifying an outer tunnel-end-point (TEP) destination address of the first data packet.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication in the encapsulation information is that the first data packet was undeliverable by the destination node.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the first data packet is discarded by the second network device based on the indication in the encapsulation information that the first data packet was undeliverable by the destination node.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first network device is configured to retain an address of the second network device and a shared address of the virtual port channel.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual port channel comprises a third network device, the third network device and the second network device each being connected to a second destination node, and

wherein a forwarding decision for a second data packet addressed to the second destination node is made by the second network device and the first network device.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication is a flipped bit.

9. A system comprising:

a first network device and a second network device, each comprising one or more processors and a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

detecting, by the first network device in a virtual port channel, a link failure between the first network device and a destination node;

receiving, by the first network device, a first data packet addressed to the destination node;

in response to detecting the link failure, forwarding, by the first network device, the first data packet to the second network device, wherein the second network device is paired with the first network device in the virtual port channel; and

rewriting encapsulation information of the first data packet to include an indication of an initial packet bounce of the first data packet.

10. The system claim 9, wherein rewriting the encapsulation information further comprises:

modifying an outer tunnel-end-point (TEP) destination address of the first data packet.

11. The system claim 9, wherein the indication in the encapsulation information is that the first data packet was undeliverable by the destination node.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first data packet is discarded by the second network device based on the indication in the encapsulation information that the first data packet was undeliverable by the destination node.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

storing, at the first network device, an address of the second network device and a shared address of the virtual port channel.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the virtual port channel comprises a third network device, the third network device and the second network device each being connected to a second destination node, and

wherein a forwarding decision for a second data packet addressed to the second destination node is made by the second network device and the first network device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, by a first network device in a virtual port channel, a link failure between the first network device and a destination node;

receiving, by the first network device, a first data packet addressed to the destination node;

in response to detecting the link failure, forwarding the first data packet to a second network device paired with the first network device in the virtual port channel; and

rewriting encapsulation information of the first data packet to include an indication of an initial packet bounce of the first data packet.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein forwarding the first data packet comprises:

updating the encapsulation information to include an address of the second network device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein rewriting the encapsulation information of the first data packet further comprises:

transmitting the first data packet to the second network device for forwarding to the destination node.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the indication in the encapsulation information is that the first data packet was undeliverable by the destination node.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first network device is configured to retain the address of the second network device and a shared address of the virtual port channel.