Validation of a virtual port channel (VPC) endpoint in the network fabric

• US 10,547,509 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pani, Ayas, Harneja, Sanchay, Holankar, Manali
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza N
• Application Number:
  US15/662,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for validating endpoint information for nodes in a network. A network assurance appliance is configured to retrieve, from a first leaf node in a network, first endpoint information for a first set of endpoints connected to the first leaf node, wherein the first set of endpoints includes a virtual port channel (VPC) endpoint. The network assurance appliance retrieves second endpoint information from a second node in the network, compares the first endpoint information with the second endpoint information, and identifies an inconsistency when the first endpoint information and the second endpoint information do not match.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

retrieving, from a first leaf node in a network, first endpoint information for a first set of endpoints connected to the first leaf node, wherein the first set of endpoints includes a virtual port channel (VPC) endpoint;

retrieving, from a second leaf node in the network, second endpoint information for a second set of endpoints connected to the second leaf node;

comparing the first endpoint information with the second endpoint information;

identifying, based on the comparing, an inconsistency when the first endpoint information and the second endpoint information do not match; and

generating an event based on the inconsistency;

wherein the first endpoint information for the VPC endpoint comprises an endpoint identifier for the VPC endpoint and a VPC flag that is set;

wherein the second set of endpoints comprises an endpoint with a corresponding endpoint identifier;

wherein the identifying of the inconsistency is based on the endpoint being associated with a VPC flag that is not set.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

retrieving, from a third leaf node in the network, third endpoint information for a third set of endpoints connected to the third leaf node; and

wherein the identifying of the inconsistency is based on the first endpoint information, the second endpoint information, and the third endpoint information each including an identical endpoint identifier.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first endpoint information for the VPC endpoint comprises a first virtual internet protocol (VIP) address and the second endpoint information for the VPC endpoint comprises a second VIP address;

and wherein the identifying of the inconsistency is based on the first VIP address being different from the second VIP address.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first VIP address is assigned to the VPC endpoint by a network controller.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, from a third leaf node in the network, third endpoint information for a third set of endpoints connected to the third leaf node; and

wherein the identifying of the inconsistency is based on the first endpoint information, the second endpoint information, and the third endpoint information each including an identical VIP address.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first endpoint information for the VPC endpoint comprises a configured VIP address for the VPC endpoint, the method further comprising:

retrieving, from a network controller in the network, an intended VIP address for the VPC endpoint; and

identifying a second inconsistency when the intended VIP address for the VPC endpoint does not match the configured VIP address for the VPC endpoint.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing, based on the event, a user interface comprising network status information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising calculating, based on the event, a health score for one or more endpoints in the network, wherein the network status information comprises the health score for the one or more endpoints.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network is a software-defined network (SDN).

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

retrieve, from a first leaf node in a network, first endpoint information for a first set of endpoints connected to the first leaf node, wherein the first set of endpoints includes a virtual port channel (VPC) endpoint;

retrieve, from a second node in the network, second endpoint information for a second set of endpoints connected to a second leaf node;

compare the first endpoint information with the second endpoint information; and

identify an inconsistency when the first endpoint information and the second endpoint information do not match;

wherein the first endpoint information for the VPC endpoint comprises an endpoint identifier for the VPC endpoint and a VPC flag that is set;

wherein the second set of endpoints comprises an endpoint with a corresponding endpoint identifier;

wherein the identify of the inconsistency is based on the endpoint being associated with a VPC flag that is not set.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second node is a second leaf node, and wherein the second endpoint information is for a second set of endpoints connected to the second leaf node.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second node is a spine node.

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

retrieve endpoint information from a plurality of leaf nodes in a network, the endpoint information including a plurality of associations between leaf nodes and endpoints;

determining, based on the endpoint information, that a number of leaf nodes in the plurality of leaf nodes in the network are associated with a VPC endpoint; and

generating an event based on the determining; and

identify an inconsistency based on the VPC endpoint being associated with a first VPC flag that is set and a second VPC flag that is not set;

wherein the endpoint information from a first leaf node comprises the first VPC flag for the VPC endpoint that is set;

wherein the endpoint information from a second leaf node comprises the second VPC flag for the VPC endpoint that is not set.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the number of leaf nodes associated with the VPC endpoint is not equal to 2, and wherein the event specifies an inconsistency.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the endpoint information from a first leaf node comprises a first VIP address for the VPC endpoint;

and wherein the endpoint information from a second leaf node comprises a second VIP address for the VPC endpoint; and

wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to;

identify an inconsistency is based on the first VIP address being different from the second VIP address.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first VIP address is assigned to the VPC endpoint by a network controller.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the endpoint information from a first leaf node comprises a configured VIP address for the VPC endpoint, and wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

retrieve, from a network controller in the network, an intended VIP address for the VPC endpoint; and

identify an inconsistency when the intended VIP address for the VPC endpoint does not match the configured VIP address for the VPC endpoint.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to provide, based on the event, a user interface comprising network status information.