System and Method for Managing Unknown Flows in a Flow-Based Switching Device

• US 20130223442A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Narayanan, Rajesh, Kotha, Saikrishna, Winter, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,559,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/563 Software download or update
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/45 Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A network switching device includes a macroflow sub-plane that performs packet-based routing in the network switching device and a microflow routing module that performs flow-based routing in the network switching device. The microflow routing module is separable from the network switching device and operates to provide a data packet via a software defined network agent to an SDN controller. The data packet is associated with a first unknown flow on the network switching device. The microflow routing module further operates to receive via the SDN agent a flow-based routing rule from the SDN controller and route the data packet based upon the flow-based routing rule.

Claims

1. A network switching device comprising:

a macroflow sub-plane that performs packet-based routing in the network switching device; and

a first microflow routing module that performs flow-based routing in the network switching device, the first microflow routing module being separable from the network switching device and operable to;

provide a first data packet via a first software defined network (SDN) agent of the first microflow routing module to an SDN controller, wherein the first data packet is associated with a first unknown flow on the network switching device;

receive via the first SDN agent a first flow-based routing rule from the SDN controller; and

route the first data packet based upon the first flow-based routing rule.

2. The network switching device of claim 1, wherein the microflow routing module is further operable to:

route a second data packet associated with the same flow as the first data packet based upon the first flow-based routing rule.

3. The network switching device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second microflow routing module that performs flow-based routing in the network switching device, the second microflow routing module being separable from the network switching device and operable to;

provide a second data packet via a second SDN agent of the first microflow routing module to the SDN controller, wherein the first data packet is associated with a second unknown flow on the network switching device;

receive via the first SDN agent a second flow-based routing rule from the SDN controller; and

route the second data packet based upon the second flow-based routing rule.

4. The network switching device of claim 1, further comprising:

a stacking module that provides for stacking the network switching device with another network switching device, the stacking module being separable from the network switching,

5. The network switching device of claim 1, wherein the first microflow routing module provides a secure sandbox mechanism for separating flow-based routing from packet-based routing within the network switching device.

6. The network switching device of claim 1, wherein the first microflow routing module provides hardware acceleration for the network switching device.

7. The network switching device of claim 6, wherein the hardware acceleration includes at least one of data compression, data decompression, and deep packet inspection pattern matching.

8. The network switching device of claim 1, wherein the first microflow routing module provides network security for the network switching device.

9. The network switching device of claim 8, wherein the network security includes at least one of data encryption and data decryption.

10. The network switching device of claim 8, wherein the first microflow routing module includes a security device that provides a security coprocessor and secure storage for cryptographic keys.

11. A microflow based routing module for inclusion in a network switching device, the routing module comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operable to execute code stored in the memory to;

provide a first data packet via a first software defined network (SDN) agent of the first microflow routing module to an SDN controller, wherein the first data packet is associated with a first unknown flow on the network switching device;

receive via the first SDN agent a first flow-based routing rule from the SDN controller; and

route the first data packet based upon the first flow-based routing rule.

12. The microflow based routing module of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

route a second data packet associated with the same flow as the first data packet based upon the first flow-based routing rule.

13. The microflow based routing module of claim 11, wherein the microflow based routing module provides a secure sandbox mechanism for separating flow-based routing from packet-based routing within the network switching device.

14. The microflow based routing module of claim 11, wherein the microflow based routing module provides hardware acceleration for the network switching device.

15. The microflow based routing module of claim 14, wherein the hardware acceleration includes at least one of data compression, data decompression, and deep packet inspection pattern matching.

16. The microflow based routing module of claim 11, wherein the microflow based routing module provides network security for the network switching device.

17. The microflow based routing module of claim 16, wherein the network security includes at least one of data encryption and data decryption.

18. The microflow based routing module of claim 16, wherein the microflow based routing module a security device that provides a security coprocessor and secure storage for cryptographic keys.

19. A method comprising:

receiving at a network switching device a data packet associated with a first flow, wherein the first flow is an unknown flow on the network switching device;

providing the data packet to a microflow sub-plane of the network switching device;

providing the data packet via a software defined network (SDN) agent of the microflow sub-plane to an SDN controller;

receiving via the SDN agent a first flow-based routing rule from the SDN controller;

providing the flow-based routing rule to the microflow sub-plane; and

routing the data packet with the microflow sub-plane based upon the flow-based routing rule.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

routing a second data packet associated with the same flow as the first data packet based upon the first flow-based routing rule.