System and Method of Enabling a Multi-Chassis Virtual Switch for Virtual Server Network Provisioning

• US 20130173810A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Narayanan
• Granted Patent: US 9,935,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/161 Computing infrastructure, e.g. computer clusters, blade chassis or hardware partitioning casings, cabinets, racks or drawers for data centers H05K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

A multi-chassis server system has several chassis, each including a chassis management controller (CMC) and a blade server with a blade management controller (BMC) and a virtual switch (VS). The first CMC establishes management sessions with the second CMC and the first BMC. The second CMC establishes a management session with the second BMC. A switch path on a virtual switch is provided via a management session to the first CMC and another switch path on another virtual switch is provided via a management session to the second chassis management controller and by another management session to the first CMC. The switch paths are aggregated into a chassis management controller virtual switch on the first chassis management controller.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a virtual switch, the method comprising:

providing a chassis management controller on a first chassis;

establishing a first management session between the chassis management controller and a first blade management controller on a first blade of the first chassis, wherein the first blade includes a first virtual switch;

determining via the first management session a first switch path on the first virtual switch;

establishing a second management session between the chassis management controller and a first chassis switch of the first chassis;

determining via the second management session a second switch path on the first chassis switch; and

aggregating the first switch path and the second switch path into a chassis management controller virtual switch on the chassis management controller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a third management session between the chassis management controller and a second blade management controller on a second blade of a second chassis, wherein the second blade includes a second virtual switch;

determining via the third management session a third switch path on the second virtual switch; and

aggregating the third switch path into the chassis management controller virtual switch.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

establishing a fourth management session between the chassis management controller and a second chassis switch of the second chassis;

determining via the fourth management session a fourth switch path on the second chassis switch; and

aggregating the fourth switch path into the chassis management controller virtual switch.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

establishing a fifth management session between the chassis management controller and a top-of-rack switch associated with the first chassis and the second chassis;

determining via the fifth management session a fifth switch path on the top-of-rack switch; and

aggregating the fifth switch path into the chassis management controller virtual switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first management session comprises a first virtual local area network; and

the second management session comprises a second virtual local area network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first management session and the second management session are established on a management network of the first chassis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first switch path is further determined via an operating system/blade management controller passthru on the first blade.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first blade management controller operates on an intelligent platform management interface.

9. A method of enabling a virtual switch, the method comprising:

providing a first chassis management controller on a first chassis and a second chassis management controller on a second chassis;

establishing a first management session between the first chassis management controller and the second chassis management controller;

establishing a second management session between the first chassis management controller and a first blade management controller on a first blade of the first chassis, wherein the first blade includes a first virtual switch;

providing via the second management session a first switch path on the first virtual switch to the first chassis management controller;

establishing a third management session between the second chassis management controller and a second blade management controller on a second blade of the second chassis, wherein the second blade includes a second virtual switch;

providing via the third management session a second switch path on the second virtual switch to the second chassis management controller;

providing via the first management session the second switch path to the first chassis management controller; and

aggregating the first switch path and the second switch path into a chassis management controller virtual switch on the first chassis management controller.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing a fourth management session between the first chassis management controller and a first chassis switch of the first chassis;

providing via the fourth management session a third switch path on the first chassis switch to the first chassis management controller; and

aggregating the third switch path into the chassis management controller virtual switch.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

establishing a fifth management session between the second chassis management controller and a second chassis switch of the second chassis;

providing via the fifth management session a fourth switch path on the second chassis switch to the second chassis management controller;

providing via the first management session the fourth switch path to the first chassis management controller; and

aggregating the fifth switch path into the chassis management controller virtual switch.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

establishing a sixth management session between the first chassis management controller and a top-of-rack switch associated with the first chassis and the second chassis;

providing via the sixth management session a fifth switch path on the top-of-rack switch to the first chassis management controller; and

aggregating the fifth switch path into the chassis management controller virtual switch.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first management session comprises a first virtual local area network;

the second management session comprises a second virtual local area network; and

the third management session comprises a third virtual local area network.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the second management session is established on a first management network of the first chassis, and the third management session is established on a second management network of the second chassis.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first switch path is further determined via an operating system/blade management controller passthru on the first blade.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first blade management controller operates on an intelligent platform management interface.

17. A multi-chassis server system comprising:

a first chassis including;

a first chassis management controller; and

a first blade server including a first blade management controller and a first virtual switch; and

a second chassis including;

a second chassis management controller; and

a second blade server including a second blade management controller and a second virtual switch;

wherein;

the first chassis management controller establishes a first management session with the second chassis management controller and a second management session with the first blade management controller;

the second chassis management controller establishes a third management session with the second blade management controller;

a first switch path on the first virtual switch is provided via the second management session to the first chassis management controller;

a second switch path on the second virtual switch is provided via the third management session to the second chassis management controller;

the second switch path is provided via the first management session to the first chassis management controller; and

the first switch path and the second switch path are aggregated into a chassis management controller virtual switch on the first chassis management controller.

18. The multi-chassis server system of claim 17, wherein:

the first chassis further includes a first chassis switch;

the second chassis further includes a second chassis switch;

the first chassis management controller establishes a fourth management session with the first chassis switch;

the second chassis management controller establishes a fifth management session with the second chassis switch;

a third switch path on the first chassis switch is provided via the fourth management session to the first chassis management controller;

a fourth switch path on the second chassis switch is provided via the fifth management session to the second chassis management controller;

the fourth switch path is provided via the first management session to the first chassis management controller; and

the third switch path and the fourth switch path are aggregated into the chassis management controller virtual switch.

19. The multi-chassis server system of claim 17, wherein:

the first management session comprises a first virtual local area network;

the second management session comprises a second virtual local area network; and

the third management session comprises a third virtual local area network.

20. The multi-chassis server system of claim 17, wherein the second management session is established on a first management network of the first chassis, and the third management session is established on a second management network of the second chassis.