Apparatus and method for cluster network device discovery
First Claim
1. A method for discovering and configuring network devices into a cluster, the method comprising:
- automatically detecting, by a commander network device, candidate devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate devices, the candidate devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets and the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster;
determining whether any of the candidate devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets received from the candidate devices; and
presenting to a user a list of the candidate network devices that are qualified to join the cluster.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 capable of belonging to a cluster transmits data packets containing cluster capability information to its neighbors. Each network device capable of belonging to a cluster that receives data packets containing cluster capability information maintains a database containing information about its cluster-capable neighbor devices. The commander device of a cluster is the point-of-contact through which the cluster is managed. The commander device maintains a database of neighbors of the entire cluster. Upon user request, the commander device displays a list of cluster neighbors and notes which ones may be added to the cluster. When the user adds a device to the cluster, that device immediately sends its database of discovered neighbors to the commander device. The commander device adds those neighbors to its database and displays them at the user'"'"'s next request. Thus, a user is informed of which switches are available to be added to a cluster at any given time.
92 Citations
75 Claims
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1. A method for discovering and configuring network devices into a cluster, the method comprising:
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automatically detecting, by a commander network device, candidate devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate devices, the candidate devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets and the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; determining whether any of the candidate devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets received from the candidate devices; and presenting to a user a list of the candidate network devices that are qualified to join the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for discovering candidate network devices to be configured into a cluster of network devices and managed via a commander network device, the method comprising:
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automatically detecting, at the commander network device, first candidate network devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate network devices directly connected to the commander network device, the candidate network devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets, the discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices and the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; determining whether any of the first candidate network devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets; and presenting to a user a list of the first candidate network devices qualified to join the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for discovering candidate network devices to be configured into a cluster of network devices and managed via a commander network device, the method comprising:
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periodically transmitting discovery packets from the candidate network devices to a commander network device, the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster, the discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices; maintaining, at each of the candidate network devices, a neighbor device database containing information about other candidate network devices directly connected to the candidate network device; and transmitting the information in the neighbor device database to the commander network device when the candidate network device is added to the cluster, all communication with network devices in the cluster being through a single network address assigned to the commander network device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A commander network device for discovering and configuring network devices into a cluster, the commander network device comprising:
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discovery protocol logic to automatically detect candidate devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate devices, the candidate devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets and the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; and qualification rule circuitry to determine whether any of the candidate devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets received from the candidate devices, the device further configured to present to a user a list of the candidate network devices that are qualified to join the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A commander network device for discovering candidate network devices to be configured into a cluster, the commander network device comprising:
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discovery protocol logic to automatically detect first candidate network devices by receiving the discovery packets from the candidate network devices directly connected to the commander network device, each of the candidate network devices periodically transmitting discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of a cluster and the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; qualification rule circuitry to determine whether any of the first candidate network devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets; and logic to present to a user a list of the first candidate network devices qualified to join the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A network device capable of being configured into a cluster of network devices and managed via a commander network device, the network device comprising:
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discovery protocol logic to periodically transmit discovery packets to a commander network device, the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster, the discovery packets including information indicating that the network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices; periodically transmitting discovery packets from the candidate network devices, the discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices; a neighbor device database to store information about other candidate network devices directly connected to the network device, other candidate network devices being configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices; and logic to transmit the information in the neighbor device database to the commander network device when the network device is added to the cluster, the network device configured to communicate through a single network address assigned to the commander network device. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. A commander network device for discovering and configuring network devices into a cluster, the commander network device comprising:
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means for automatically detecting candidate devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate devices, the candidate devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets, the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; means for determining whether any of the candidate devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets received from the candidate devices; and means for presenting to a user a list of the candidate network devices that are qualified to join the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A commander network device for discovering candidate network devices to be configured into a cluster of network devices and managed via a commander network device, the commander network device comprising:
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means for automatically detecting first candidate network devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate network devices directly connected to the commander network device, the candidate network devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets, the discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices, the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; means for determining whether any of the first candidate network devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets; and means for presenting to a user a list of the first candidate network devices qualified to join the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. An apparatus for discovering candidate network devices to be configured into a cluster of network devices and managed via a commander network device, the apparatus comprising:
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means for periodically transmitting discovery packets from the candidate network devices to a commander network device, the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster, the discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices; means for maintaining, at each of the candidate network devices, a neighbor device database containing information about other candidate network devices directly connected to the candidate network device; and means for transmitting the information in the neighbor device database to the commander network device when the candidate network device is added to the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69)
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70. A computer readable medium which stores instructions which are executable on a commander network device in which the instructions perform a method for discovering and configuring network devices into a cluster, the method comprising:
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automatically detecting, by a commander network device, candidate devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate devices, the candidate devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets and the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; determining whether any of the candidate devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets received from the candidate devices; and presenting to a user a list of the candidate network devices that are qualified to join the cluster.
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71. A computer readable medium which stores instructions which are executable on a commander network device in which the instructions perform a method for discovering candidate network devices to be configured into a cluster of network devices and managed via the commander network device, the method comprising:
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automatically detecting, at the commander network device, first candidate network devices by receiving discovery packets from the candidate network devices directly connected to the commander network device, the candidate network devices periodically transmitting the discovery packets, the discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices and the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster; determining whether any of the first candidate network devices is qualified to join the cluster by applying qualification rules to the discovery packets; and presenting to a user a list of the first candidate network devices qualified to join the cluster. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73)
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74. A computer readable medium which stores instructions which are executable on a computer in which the instructions perform a method for discovering candidate network devices to be configured into a cluster of network devices and managed via a commander network device, the method comprising:
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periodically transmitting discovery packets from the candidate network devices to a commander network device, the commander network device being user-configured as the point of access for the devices of the cluster, the discovery packets including information indicating that the candidate network device is configured to operate as part of the cluster of network devices; maintaining, at each of the candidate network devices, a neighbor device database containing information about other candidate network devices directly connected to the candidate network device; and transmitting the information in the neighbor device database to the commander network device when the candidate network device is added to the cluster, all communication with network devices in the cluster being through a single network address assigned to the commander network device. - View Dependent Claims (75)
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Specification