Distributed link aggregation

• US 8,369,296 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Armstrong, William J., Basso, Claude, Cors, Josep, Engebretsen, David R., Lucke, Kyle A., Lynch, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/767,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20110261827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/338, 370/389, 370/390, 370/392, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 to forward data frames are described. A particular method may include generating a plurality of management frames at a controlling bridge. The management frames may include routing information. The plurality of management frames may be communicated to a plurality of bridge elements coupled to a plurality of server computers. The plurality of bridge elements are each configured to selectively forward a plurality of data frames according to the routing information.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of racks, wherein each rack of the plurality of racks includes a plurality of chassis, wherein each chassis of the plurality of chassis includes a plurality of server computers;

a distributed virtual bridge coupled to the plurality of server computers, wherein the distributed virtual bridge is coupled to a plurality of adapters and the plurality of adapters is located within, coupled, or any combination thereof to the plurality of server computers, and wherein the distributed virtual bridge comprises;

a plurality of bridge elements coupled to the plurality of server computers, wherein the plurality of bridge elements are each configured to selectively forward a plurality of data frames according to routing information to server computers of different racks of the plurality of racks, different chassis of the plurality of chassis, or any combination thereof; and

a controlling bridge coupled to the plurality of bridge elements and configured to provide the routing information to the plurality of bridge elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the routing information includes at least one of a routing algorithm and address data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements executes the routing algorithm to select an address of a plurality of addresses associated with at least one of a link, a port, and a node configured to receive a data frame of the plurality of data frames.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements includes a table storing a plurality of addresses associated with at one of a link, a port, and a node configured to receive the data frames.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements includes a table comprising a plurality of addresses associated with at least one group comprising a plurality of ports.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements includes a link status table comprising an operational status of a plurality of addresses associated with at one of a link, a port, and a node configured to receive the data frames.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements of the distributed virtual bridge is configured to detect a faulty link coupled to the bridge element and notify the controlling bridge element of the faulty link.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge is configured to communicate a faulty status of a link to the plurality of bridge elements.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge is configured to assign to each bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements at least one of a link, a port, and node to receive the plurality of data frames.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the routing information includes a faulty status of at least one of a link, a port, and a node.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an integrated switch router configured to route the plurality of data frames and a transport layer module coupled to a bridge element of the plurality of bridge element, wherein the transport layer module is configured to provide a frame-based interface to the integrated switch router.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the routing information includes at least one of a virtual local area network identifier and a port group identifier.

13. A method of routing a data frame, the method comprising:

for a plurality of racks, wherein each rack of the plurality of racks includes a plurality of chassis, wherein each chassis of the plurality of chassis includes a plurality of server computers, generating a plurality of management frames at a controlling bridge of a distributed virtual bridge, wherein the management frames include routing information, wherein the distributed virtual bridge is coupled to the plurality of server computers, wherein the distributed virtual bridge is coupled to a plurality of adapters and the plurality of adapters is located within, coupled, or any combination thereof to the plurality of server computers; and

communicating the plurality of management frames to a plurality of bridge elements of the distributed virtual bridge coupled to the plurality of server computers, wherein the plurality of bridge elements are each configured to selectively forward a plurality of data frames according to the routing information to server computers of different racks of the plurality of racks, different chassis of the plurality of chassis, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically assigning a link to a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically assigning at least one of a virtual local area network and a port group to a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving status information indicative of a status of a link from a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating a management frame that includes updated routing information to a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the routing information includes at least one of a routing algorithm and address data.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically disassociating a link with a bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements.

20. A program product, comprising:

program code executable at a controlling bridge of a distributed virtual bridge, for a plurality of racks, wherein each rack of the plurality of racks includes a plurality of chassis, wherein each chassis of the plurality of chassis includes a plurality of server computers, wherein the distributed virtual bridge is coupled to the plurality of server computers, wherein the distributed virtual bridge is coupled to a plurality of adapters and the plurality of adapters is located within, coupled, or any combination thereof to the plurality of server computers, to generate a plurality of management frames that include routing information and to communicate the plurality of management frames to a plurality of bridge elements of the distributed virtual bridge coupled to the plurality of server computers, wherein the plurality of bridge elements are each configured to selectively forward a plurality of data frames according to the routing information to server computers of different racks of the plurality of racks, different chassis of the plurality of chassis, or any combination thereof; and

a computer readable non-transitory storage medium bearing the program code.