METHODS AND SYSTEMS TO SELECT ACTIVE AND STANDBY PORTS IN LINK AGGREGATION GROUPS

• US 20170063672A1
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: TAHILIANI, Manish, MEHRA, Atul, CHHABRA, Mukesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,992,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically selecting active ports and standby ports in a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) or a Multi-Chassis LAG (MC-LAG) between a first node and a second node are described. The systems and methods include receiving a configuration associated with the LAG or the MC-LAG; automatically determining a port status for each of a plurality of ports based on the configuration; and communicating the determined port status for each of the plurality of ports between the first node and the second node.

Claims

1. A method for automatically selecting active ports and standby ports in a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) or a Multi-Chassis LAG (MC-LAG) between a first node and a second node, the method comprising:

receiving a configuration associated with the LAG or the MC-LAG;

automatically determining a port status for each of a plurality of ports based on the configuration; and

communicating the determined port status for each of the plurality of ports between the first node and the second node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises one of (i) a specification of a number of preferred ports for the plurality of ports and (ii) a specification of preferred links and standby links.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically determining assigns an active status and a standby status to each of the plurality of ports based on the configuration, wherein one of the first node and the second node are determined as a master node which performs the automatically determining and communicates to a slave node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating utilizes a Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communicating utilizes reserved bytes in a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) from LACP.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating utilizes a state machine in which the first node and the second node communicate associated port states for each of the plurality of ports.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating ensures each pair of ports of the plurality of ports is in a same state.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a fault on an active port of the plurality of ports, selecting another port by a master switch to switch traffic to from the active port; and

communicating an update of status of the another port to a slave switch.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to the fault being restored, reverting to the active port and communicating an update of status of the active port to the slave switch.

10. A switch configured to automatically select active ports and standby ports in a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) or a Multi-Chassis LAG (MC-LAG) between a second switch, the switch comprising:

a plurality of ports;

circuitry configured to, responsive to receipt of a configuration associated with the LAG or the MC-LAG, automatically determine a port status for each of a plurality of ports based on the configuration; and

circuitry configured to communicate the determined port status for each of the plurality of ports between the first node and the second node.

11. The switch of claim 10, wherein the configuration comprises one of (i) a specification of a number of preferred ports for the plurality of ports and (ii) a specification of preferred links and standby links.

12. The switch of claim 10, wherein the circuitry configured to automatically determine assigns an active status and a standby status to each of the plurality of ports based on the configuration, wherein the switch is a master node which determines the active status and the standby status and communicates with a slave node which is the second switch.

13. The switch of claim 10, wherein the circuitry configured to communicate utilizes a Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP).

14. The switch of claim 13, wherein the circuitry configured to communicate utilizes reserved bytes in a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) from LACP.

15. The switch of claim 10, wherein the circuitry configured to communicate utilizes a state machine in which the switch communicate associated port states for each of the plurality of ports to the second switch.

16. The switch of claim 10, wherein the circuitry configured to communicate ensures each pair of ports of the plurality of ports are in a same state at both the switch and the second switch.

17. The switch of claim 10, further comprising:

circuitry configured to, responsive to a fault on an active port of the plurality of ports, select another port by a master switch to switch traffic to from the active port;

wherein the circuitry configured to communicate is configured to an update of status of the another port to a slave switch.

18. The switch of claim 17, wherein, the circuitry configured to select another port is configured to, responsive to the fault being restored, revert to the active port and communicating an update of status of the active port to the slave switch.

19. A network in which active ports and standby ports in a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) or a Multi-Chassis LAG (MC-LAG) are automatically configured between switches, the network comprising:

a first switch comprising a first plurality of ports;

a second switch comprising a second plurality of ports communicatively coupled to the first plurality of ports;

wherein one of the LAG and the MC-LAG is configured over the first plurality of ports and the second plurality of ports;

wherein one of the first switch and the second switch is a master switch that comprises;

circuitry configured to, responsive to receipt of a configuration associated with the LAG or the MC-LAG, automatically determine a port status for each of port based on the configuration; and

circuitry configured to communicate the determined port status to a slave switch.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the first switch and the second switch utilize Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP).