Apparatus and method for automatic cluster network device address assignment

• US 7,545,820 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Duvvury, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Brian D
• Application Number:
  US11/137,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/401, 370/389, 370/392, 370/475, 709/223, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication

Abstract

A group of network devices, such as Ethernet switches, are logically configured as a single cluster, with one commander device and one or more member devices. Each network device in the cluster contains an embedded HTML server that facilitates configuration and management of the network device via a management station running a Web browser. Each device in the cluster is identified by a unique Universal Resource Locator (“URL”). However, only the cluster commander is required to have a public IP address. The cluster commander automatically assigns private IP addresses to the other devices in the cluster. Network devices in the cluster constantly monitor network traffic on all their ports to detect conflicts between the automatically assigned IP addresses and the IP addresses of network devices outside of the cluster. When a conflict is detected, the cluster commander assigns a different private IP address to the cluster network device that caused the conflict. The process of detecting and correcting IP address conflicts continues continuously to enable the cluster network devices to react automatically to network configuration changes.

Claims

1. A member network device capable of interconnecting at least two network segments and forwarding data frames from one network segment to another, the member network device comprising:

conflict detection logic configured to detect a conflict between a private network address automatically assigned to the member network device by a commander network device and a network address being used by a network device other than the member network device;

wherein the private network address automatically assigned to the member network device is a function of a hardware address of the member network device;

wherein the conflict detection logic includes monitoring logic configured to monitor a source network address of input network packets received by the member network device.

2. The member network device of claim 1, wherein the hardware address is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

3. The member network device of claim 1, wherein the commander network device is a local area network (LAN) switch.

4. The member network device of claim 3, wherein the member network device is a LAN switch.

5. The member network device of claim 1, wherein the private network address automatically assigned to the member network device is obtained by adding values of one or more bytes of the hardware address of the member network device to a base private network address.

6. The member network device of claim 1, wherein the monitoring logic is further configured to generate an address conflict detection message if the source network address of an input network packet received by the member network device matches the private network address of the member network device.

7. A commander network device operatively coupled to a member network device, the commander network device having a public network address and comprising:

hardware address reading logic configured to read a hardware address of the member network device;

private network address generation logic operatively coupled to the hardware address reading logic and configured to generate a private IP address for the member network device as a function of the hardware address; and

private network address assigning logic operatively coupled to the private network address generation logic and configured to assign the private IP address to the member network device such that the member network device detects a conflict between the assigned private IP address and a network address being used by a network device other than the member network device.

8. The commander network device of claim 7, wherein the hardware address is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

9. The commander network device of claim 7, wherein the commander network device is a local area network (LAN) switch.

10. The commander network device of claim 9, wherein the member network device is a LAN switch.

11. The commander network device of claim 7, wherein the private network address generation logic is further configured to generate the private network address by adding values of one or more bytes of the hardware address of the member network device to a base private network address.

12. A method for assigning network addresses to network devices in a cluster, each of the network devices being capable of interconnecting at least two network segments and forwarding data frames from one network segment to another, the method comprising:

reading the hardware address of a first network device;

generating a private network address as a function of the hardware address;

assigning the private network address to the first network device; and

communicating with the first network device using the private network address in a manner such that the first network device detects a conflict between the assigned private network address and a network address being used by a network device other than the first network device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the private network address is automatically generated by adding the values of one or more bytes of the hardware address to a base private network address.

14. An apparatus for assigning network addresses to network devices in a cluster, each of the network devices being capable of interconnecting at least two network segments and forwarding data frames from one network segment to another, the apparatus comprising:

means for reading the hardware address of a first network device;

means for generating a private network address as a function of the hardware address;

means for assigning the private network address to the first network device; and

means for communicating with the first network device using the private network address in a manner such that the first network device detects a conflict between the assigned private network address and a network address being used by a network device other than the first network device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the private network address is automatically generated by adding the values of one or more bytes of the hardware address to a base private network address.