Managing Connectivity in a Virtual Network

• US 20080310421A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Teisberg, Robert R., Chuang, Mike H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.53
• 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 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems for managing connectivity in a virtual network. One embodiment determines if information received from a device in a virtual land area network (VLAN) matches a configuration of a virtual connect domain (VCD) in order to label links as being either internal or external.

Claims

1. ) A method for discovering connectivity between devices in a virtual land area network (VLAN), comprising:

receiving a unique identifier from a device in the VLAN;

determining if the unique identifier is from a virtual connect (VC) module;

identifying a link to the device as being an internal link in the VLAN when the unique identifier is from the VC module and as being an external link in the VLAN when the unique identifier is not from the VC module.

2. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier includes a virtual land area network identification (VLAN ID).

3. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the VC module is a set of interconnect modules and embedded software for a blade enclosure in a datacenter.

4. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, determining a domain of the device from a type-length-value (TLV) when the device is labeled as the internal link.

5. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, determining if a domain credential of the device matches a shared secret to determine if the device is labeled as the internal or external link.

6. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the unique identifier at a second device;

sending a type-length-value (TLV) from the second device to the device;

determining if a system name of TLVs at the device and the second device match.

7. ) A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, comprising:

receiving at a first device information from a second device in a virtual land area network (VLAN);

determining if the information is from the second device matches a configuration of a virtual connect domain (VCD);

labeling a link to the first and second device as being an internal link in the VLAN when the information matches the VCD and as being an external link in the VLAN when information does not match the VCD.

8. ) The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, sending from the first device to the second device a link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) that contains type-length-values (TLVs).

9. ) The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, comparing a VCD configuration of the first device with a VCD configuration of the second device to determine if a difference exists within a predetermined tolerance or an exact match exists.

10. ) The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, determining if a system name of type-length-values (TLVs) of the first and second devices match.

11. ) The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, determining if hash values of type-length-values (TLVs) of the first and second devices match.

12. ) The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, determining if the first and second devices are members of the VCD.

13. ) The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, labeling the second device as the internal link until either a link with the second device is lost or the first device receives a link layer discovery protocol data unit (LLDPDU) that is incompatible with the configuration of the VCD.

14. ) The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, transitioning to an inhibiting state when the first and second devices are no longer members of the VCD.

15. ) A method for discovering connectivity between devices in a network, comprising:

determining if information received from a device in a virtual land area network (VLAN) matches a configuration of a virtual connect domain (VCD);

labeling a link to the device as being an internal link in the VLAN when the information matches the VCD and as being an external link in the VLAN when information does not match the configuration of the VCD.

16. ) The method of claim 15 further comprising, continuing to label the device as having the internal link until the device sends a link layer discovery protocol data unit (LLDPDU) that does not match the configuration of the VCD.

17. ) The method of claim 15 further comprising, entering a probation state upon receiving a link layer discovery protocol data unit (LLDPDU) that indicates membership in the VCD but also indicates a tolerance configuration mismatch with the configuration of the VCD.

18. ) The method of claim 15 further comprising, ignoring link layer discovery protocol data units (LLDPDUs) from the device in an inhibited state that specifies the device is not a member of the VCD.

19. ) The method of claim 15 further comprising:

using link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) to determine boundaries of the VLAN;

activating LLDP extensions to enable devices to discover a topology of the VLAN.

20. ) The method of claim 15 further comprising, monitoring traffic at a boundary of an external network to the VLAN to identify ports connected to the external network.