AUTOMATIC AGGREGATION OF INTER-DEVICE PORTS/LINKS IN A VIRTUAL DEVICE

• US 20110161489A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Sitharaman, Sai Ganesh, Agarwal, Saurabh, Bhatt, Megh, Reddy, Rajashekar, Nakil, Harshad
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• 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: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A virtual device includes multiple devices connected to operate as a single device. A first one of the devices is configured to determine that the first device connects to a second one of the devices via a first link; identify a second link; determine that the second link connects the first device to the second device; and automatically aggregate the first link and the second link to form a link aggregation with the second device based on determining that the first device connects to the second device via both the first and second links. The first device is further configured to transmit packets to the second device via the first and second links of the link aggregation.

Claims

1. A virtual device, comprising:

a plurality of devices connected to operate as a single device,

a first device, of the plurality of devices, is to;

discover a second device of the plurality of devices,

determine that the first device connects to the second device via a plurality of links,

automatically aggregate the plurality of links to form a link aggregation with the second device based on determining that the first device connects to the second device via the plurality of links, and

transmit traffic to the second device via each of the plurality of links of the link aggregation.

2. The virtual device of claim 1, where the first device is further to create, in a table, an entry that stores information regarding the second device and information associated with each of the plurality of links.

3. The virtual device of claim 1, where the first device is further to program one or more hardware components, of the first device, to distribute traffic on the plurality of links using a load balancing technique.

4. The virtual device of claim 1, where the first device is further to:

monitor a state of each of the plurality of links,

determine, based on the monitoring, that one of the plurality of links changed from a link up state to a link down state,

remove the one of the plurality of links from the link aggregation to leave one or more of the plurality of links when the one of the plurality of links changed from the link up state to the link down state, and

transmit traffic over the one or more of the plurality of links after removing the one of the plurality of links from the link aggregation.

5. The virtual device of claim 1, where the first device is further to:

receive information regarding a topology of the virtual device, and

perform a shortest path calculation to one of the plurality of devices as a function of a total bandwidth available on the link aggregation.

6. The virtual device of claim 5, where, when transmitting the traffic to the second device, the first device is to:

receive traffic on a network link,

identify the one of the plurality of devices to receive the traffic,

determine, based on the shortest path calculation, that the traffic is to be sent to the second device, and

transmit the traffic to the second device over one or more of the plurality of links of the link aggregation.

7. The virtual device of claim 5, where the first device is further to:

identify a new link connected to the second device,

automatically aggregate the new link with the link aggregation to form a new link aggregation, and

perform a new shortest path calculation to the one of the plurality of devices as a function of a total bandwidth available on the new link aggregation.

8. The virtual device of claim 7, where, when transmitting the traffic to the second device, the first device is to:

receive traffic on a network link,

identify the one of the plurality of devices to receive the traffic,

determine, based on the new shortest path calculation, that the traffic is to be sent to the second device, and

transmit the traffic to the second device over one or more of the plurality of links of the new link aggregation.

9. The virtual device of claim 1, where the first device is further to:

identify a new link connected to the second device, and

automatically aggregate the new link with the link aggregation to form a new link aggregation.

10. The virtual device of claim 1, where the plurality of devices include a plurality of network devices that are connected to operate as a single network device.

11. The virtual device of claim 1, where at least two of the plurality of devices are separated geographically by a distance of between 50 and 100 kilometers.

12. A virtual system, comprising:

a plurality of devices connected to operate as a single device,

a first device, of the plurality of devices, comprising;

means for determining that the first device is connected to a second device of the plurality of devices,

means for determining that the first device connects to the second device via a plurality of links,

means for automatically aggregating the plurality of links to form a link aggregation with the second device based on determining that the first device connects to the second device via the plurality of links, and

means for transmitting traffic to the second device over one or more of the plurality of links, of the link aggregation, using a load balancing technique.

13. The virtual system of claim 12, where the first device further comprises:

means for monitoring a state of each of the plurality of links,

means for determining, based on the monitoring, that one of the plurality of links changed to a link down state,

means for removing the one of the plurality of links from the link aggregation to leave a remaining one or more of the plurality of links when the one of the plurality of links changed to the link down state, and

means for transmitting traffic over the remaining one or more of the plurality of links after removing the one of the plurality of links from the link aggregation.

14. The virtual system of claim 12, where the first device further comprises:

means for receiving information regarding a topology of the virtual system, and

means for performing a shortest path calculation to one of the plurality of devices as a function of a total bandwidth available on the link aggregation;

where the means for transmitting the traffic to the second device includes;

means for receiving traffic on a network link,

means for identifying the one of the plurality of devices to receive the traffic,

means for determining, based on the shortest path calculation, that the traffic is to be sent to the second device, and

means for transmitting the traffic to the second device over the one or more of the plurality of links of the link aggregation.

15. A method performed by a first device of a plurality of devices connected to operate as a single device, the method comprising:

determining that the first device connects to a second device, of the plurality of devices, via a first link;

identifying a second link;

determining that the second link connects the first device to the second device;

automatically aggregating the first link and the second link to form a link aggregation with the second device based on determining that the first device connects to the second device via both the first and second links, and

transmitting a plurality of packets to the second device via the first and second links of the link aggregation, where one or more of the plurality of packets are transmitted via the first link and another one or more of the plurality of packets are transmitted via the second link.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing information that associates the second device with the link aggregation; and

using the stored information to program one or more components of the first device to distribute the plurality of packets across the first and second links

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring a state of the first and second links;

determining, based on the monitoring, that a particular link, of the first link and the second link, changed to a link down state;

removing the particular link from the link aggregation to leave a remaining link, of the first link and the second link, when the particular link changed to the link down state; and

transmitting a packet on the remaining link after removing the particular link from the link aggregation.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information regarding a topology associated with the plurality of devices; and

performing a shortest path calculation to one of the plurality of devices as a function of a total bandwidth available on the link aggregation.

19. The method of claim 18, where transmitting the plurality of packets to the second device includes:

receiving a packet on a network link,

identifying the one of the plurality of devices to receive the packet,

determining, based on the shortest path calculation, that the packet is to be sent to the second device,

selecting the first link or the second link on which to transmit the packet to the second device, and

transmitting the packet on the selected first link or the selected second link.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

identifying a third link connected to the second device;

automatically aggregating the third link with the link aggregation to form a new link aggregation; and

performing a new shortest path calculation to the one of the plurality of devices as a function of a total bandwidth available on the new link aggregation.

21. The method of claim 20, where transmitting the plurality of packets to the second device includes:

receiving a packet on a network link,

identifying the one of the plurality of devices to receive the packet,

determining, based on the new shortest path calculation, that the packet is to be sent to the second device,

selecting the first link or the second link on which to transmit the packet to the second device, and

transmitting the packet on the selected first link or the selected second link.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a third link connected to the second device; and

automatically aggregating the third link with the link aggregation to form a new link aggregation.