LAYER-3 SERVICES FOR UNITED ROUTER FARM

• US 20130294453A1
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Han, Lin, Li, Renwei, Wu, Xiaoqian, Zhang, Shujin, Zhao, Katherine
• Granted Patent: US 8,891,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/58 Association of routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a computing system. The computing system includes a processor, a memory, a logical switch management mechanism, and a layer-2 path management mechanism. The logical switch management mechanism operates the computing system in conjunction with a plurality of remote switches as a single logical switch. The layer-2 path management mechanism includes a path calculation mechanism and a layer-2 forwarding table. The path calculation mechanism calculates layer-2 shortest paths among the computing system and the remote switches. The layer-2 forwarding table is for a first switch in the plurality of remote switches and created based on one or more of the shortest paths, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding table corresponds to a layer-2 network address. The layer-2 path management mechanism suppresses advertisement of the shortest paths outside of the logical switch, thereby hiding internal paths of the logical switch.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a logical switch management mechanism configured to operate the computing system in conjunction with a plurality of remote switches as a single logical switch; and

a layer-2 path management mechanism comprising;

a path calculation mechanism configured to calculate one or more layer-2 shortest paths among the computing system and the remote switches; and

a layer-2 forwarding table for a first switch in the plurality of remote switches based on the one or more shortest paths, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding table corresponds to a layer-2 network address;

wherein the layer-2 path management mechanism is configured to suppress advertisement of the shortest paths outside of the logical switch, thereby hiding internal paths of the logical switch.

2. The computing system of claim 1, further comprising a data management mechanism configured to send the layer-2 forwarding table to the first switch.

3. The computing system of claim 1, further comprising a forwarding mechanism configured to forward a received packet to a switch in the plurality of remote switches based on the layer-2 forwarding table.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein while calculating the one or more layer-2 shortest paths, the layer-2 path management mechanism is configured to use Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the layer-2 path management mechanism is further configured to update a respective entry in the layer-2 forwarding table in response to a change in the logical switch.

6. The computing system of claim 1, further comprising a layer-3 route management mechanism configured to map a respective layer-2 network address in the layer-2 forwarding table to a layer-3 network address.

7. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the layer-3 route management mechanism is further configured to send mapping information to the first switch.

8. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the layer-3 route management mechanism is further configured to create a local layer-3 forwarding table based on the mapping and a local layer-2 forwarding table.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the layer-3 route management mechanism is further configured to update a respective entry in the local layer-3 forwarding table in response to a change in the local layer-2 forwarding table.

10. A computer-executable method, comprising:

operating a computing system in conjunction with a plurality of remote switches as a single logical switch;

calculating one or more layer-2 shortest paths among the computing system and the remote switches;

creating a layer-2 forwarding table for a first switch in the plurality of remote switches based on the one or more shortest paths, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding table corresponds to a layer-2 network address; and

suppressing advertisement of the shortest paths outside of the logical switch, thereby hiding internal paths of the logical switch.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending the layer-2 forwarding table to the first switch.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising forwarding a received packet to a switch in the plurality of remote switches based on the layer-2 forwarding table.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising using Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol while calculating the one or more layer-2 shortest paths.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating a respective entry in the layer-2 forwarding table in response to a change in the logical switch.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising mapping a respective layer-2 network address in the layer-2 forwarding table to a layer-3 network address.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending mapping information to the first switch.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising creating a local layer-3 forwarding table based on the mapping and a local layer-2 forwarding table.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising updating a respective entry in the local layer-3 forwarding table in response to a change in the local layer-2 forwarding table.

19. A switch, comprising:

a configuration management mechanism to configure the switch based on received configuration information from a remote system, thereby allowing the remote system to control the switch;

a logical switch management mechanism configured to operate the switch in conjunction with a plurality of remote switches as a single logical switch based on the received configuration information; and

a data management mechanism configured to;

receive a layer-2 forwarding table from the remote system, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding table corresponds to a layer-2 network address; and

suppress advertisement of the forwarding table outside of the logical switch, thereby hiding internal forwarding of the logical switch.

20. The switch of claim 19, further comprising a forwarding mechanism configured to forward a received packet to a switch in the plurality of remote switches based on the layer-2 forwarding table.

21. The switch of claim 19, wherein the data management mechanism is further configured to receive an updated layer-2 forwarding table from the configuring system.

22. The switch of claim 19, wherein the data management mechanism is further configured to receive a mapping between a respective layer-2 network address in the layer-2 forwarding table and a layer-3 network address from the configuring system.

23. The switch of claim 22, further comprising a layer-3 route management mechanism configured to create a layer-3 forwarding table based on the mapping and the layer-2 forwarding table.

24. The switch of claim 23, wherein the layer-3 route management mechanism is further configured to update a respective entry in the layer-3 forwarding table in response to a change to the layer-2 forwarding table.