Mesh mirroring with path tags

• US 20060176880A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Wakumoto, Shaun Kazuo, Bare, Ballard Claude
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath

Abstract

One embodiment disclosed relates to a method of mirroring select traffic in a switching mesh. A packet is received at an edge switch of the switching mesh, and a determination is made as to whether the packet is to be mirrored based on mirroring criteria. A path tag associated with a path through the switching mesh is selected. The path tag is associated with a mirror path if the packet is to be mirrored. The path tag is added to the packet, and the tagged packet is forwarded to a next switch along the path. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of mirroring select traffic in a switching mesh, the method comprising:

receiving a packet at a source switch at an edge of the switching mesh;

determining whether the packet is to be mirrored based on mirroring criteria;

selecting a path tag associated with a path through the switching mesh, wherein the path tag is associated with a mirror path if the packet is to be mirrored;

adding the path tag to the packet; and

forwarding the tagged packet to a next switch along the path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirror path is constrained so as to begin at the source switch, end at a destination switch, and pass through each switch from which the packet is to be locally mirrored.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirror path is programmed to pass through multiple switches from which the packet is to be locally mirrored.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the packet at the next switch along the path;

examining the path tag;

determining whether the path tag indicates local mirroring; and

if local mirroring is indicated, then replicating the packet to a mirror interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determination of whether the path tag indicates local mirroring includes looking up the path tag in a tag entry table.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein entries in the tag entry table include a mirroring bit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the path tag comprises a source switch identifier, a destination switch identifier, and a path identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirroring criteria depend upon data from the packet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mirroring criteria comprise at least one criterion from a group consisting of source MAC address, destination MAC address, source IP address, destination IP address, TCP port number, and UDP port number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirroring criteria depend upon a relationship between the packet and the source switch.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mirroring criteria comprise at least one criterion from a group consisting of inbound port, outbound port, VLAN, ethertype, and priority queue.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirroring criteria depend upon both data from the packet and information pertaining to a relationship between the packet and the source switch.

13. A switching apparatus configured to be a member of a switching mesh, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of ports; and

a switch control device coupled to the plurality of ports,

wherein the switch control device is configured to receive a packet at a non-mesh port, determine whether the packet is to be mirrored based on mirroring criteria, select a path tag associated with a mirror path through the switching mesh if the packet is to be mirrored, add the path tag to the packet, and forward the tagged packet to a next switch along the path.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mirror path is configured so as to begin at the source switch, end at a destination switch, and pass through each switch from which the packet is to be locally mirrored.

15. The apparatus of claim. 13, wherein the mirror path is configured to pass through multiple switches from which the packet is to be locally mirrored.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the switch control device is further configured to receive a forwarded packet via a mesh port, examine a path tag of the forwarded packet, determine whether the path tag of the forwarded packet indicates local mirroring, and replicate the packet to a mirror interface if local mirroring is indicated.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the determination of whether the path tag indicates local mirroring includes looking up the path tag in a tag entry table stored in memory at the apparatus;

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein entries in the tag entry table include a mirroring bit.

19. A system for replicating select traffic in a switching mesh, the system comprising:

means for finding whether the packet is to be replicated based on selection criteria;

means for choosing a path tag associated with a path through the switching mesh, wherein the path tag comprises a mirror path tag if the packet is to be mirrored;

means for pre-pending the path tag to the packet; and

means for transmitting the tagged packet to a next switch along the path.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the mirror path tag is associated in a table with a route beginning at a source switch, ending at a destination switch, and passing through each switch from which the packet is to be locally replicated.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the mirror path tag is associated in a table with a route passing through multiple switches at which the packet is to be locally replicated.