Software-based fabric enablement
First Claim
1. A method of configuring a networking fabric comprising network elements, comprising:
- providing a first fabric abstraction layer coupled with an aggregation layer and a physical layer of a network device connected to the network elements via at least one network connection, the first fabric abstraction layer configured to receive information about physical links from the physical layer of the network device;
providing a second fabric abstraction layer coupled with the aggregation layer and an application of the network device, the second fabric abstraction layer communicating the information about the physical links to the application;
providing, by the second fabric abstraction layer, an application programming interface (API) allowing the application to generate configuration instructions configuring the at least one network connection based on the information about the physical links;
receiving, by the second fabric abstraction layer, the configuration instructions generated by the application;
sending, by the second fabric abstraction layer, the configuration instructions to the first abstraction layer via the aggregation layer; and
configuring, by the first fabric abstraction layer, the at least one network connection to transmit data according to the configuration instructions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A first fabric abstraction layer couples to a data link layer and a physical layer of a network fabric device. The network fabric device is connected to other network elements within a network via at least one network connection, such as a fiber optic connection. A second fabric abstraction layer couples to the data link layer and an application of the network device. The second fabric abstraction layer provides an application programming interface (API) to the application. The API allows the application to generate configuration instructions for configuring the at least one network connection. Upon receiving the configuration instructions generated by the application, the second abstraction layer sends the configuration instructions to the first abstraction layer via the data link layer. The first abstraction layer then configures the at least one network connection to transmit data according to the configuration instructions.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of configuring a networking fabric comprising network elements, comprising:
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providing a first fabric abstraction layer coupled with an aggregation layer and a physical layer of a network device connected to the network elements via at least one network connection, the first fabric abstraction layer configured to receive information about physical links from the physical layer of the network device; providing a second fabric abstraction layer coupled with the aggregation layer and an application of the network device, the second fabric abstraction layer communicating the information about the physical links to the application; providing, by the second fabric abstraction layer, an application programming interface (API) allowing the application to generate configuration instructions configuring the at least one network connection based on the information about the physical links; receiving, by the second fabric abstraction layer, the configuration instructions generated by the application; sending, by the second fabric abstraction layer, the configuration instructions to the first abstraction layer via the aggregation layer; and configuring, by the first fabric abstraction layer, the at least one network connection to transmit data according to the configuration instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification