Methods and devices for exchanging peer parameters between network devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- determining, by a first port of a first network device, that a second port of a second network device supports a protocol to be used to exchange configuration information, wherein the protocol is supported by the first port;
exchanging configuration information by the first port of the first network device with the second port using the protocol after determining, by the first port of the first network device, that the second port supports the protocol; and
automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged configuration information;
wherein automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged configuration information comprises automatically configuring the first port to support virtual storage area network (VSANs) that are supported by both the first port and the second port.
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Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for detecting whether peer ports interconnecting two network devices can perform a novel protocol called Exchange Peer Parameters (“EPP”). If the peer ports are so configured to perform EPP, EPP services are exchanged between the peer ports. In a first phase, information is exchanged about peer port configurations of interest. In a second phase, the results of the exchange of information are applied to hardware and/or software of the respective ports, as needed.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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determining, by a first port of a first network device, that a second port of a second network device supports a protocol to be used to exchange configuration information, wherein the protocol is supported by the first port; exchanging configuration information by the first port of the first network device with the second port using the protocol after determining, by the first port of the first network device, that the second port supports the protocol; and automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged configuration information; wherein automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged configuration information comprises automatically configuring the first port to support virtual storage area network (VSANs) that are supported by both the first port and the second port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23)
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6. A method, comprising:
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determining, by a first port of a first network device, that a second port of a second network device supports Exchange Peer Parameters protocol; exchanging configuration information with the second port using Exchange Peer Parameters protocol; and automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged information; wherein the configuring step comprises configuring the first port to enable transmission of frames to the second port in Extended Interswitch Link format.
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7. An apparatus, comprising:
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means for determining by a second port of a second network device that a first port of a first network device supports a protocol to be used to exchange configuration information, wherein the protocol is supported by the second port of the second network device; means for exchanging configuration information by the second port with the first port using the protocol after determining by the second port of the second network device that the first port of the first network device supports the protocol; and means for configuring a second port of the second network device according to the exchanged configuration information; wherein configuring the second port of the second network device according to the exchanged configuration information comprises configuring the second port to support VSANs that are supported by both the first port and the second port.
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8. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first port; a memory; and a processor, at least one of the memory or the processor being configured to do the following; determine, by the first port, that a second port of a second network device supports a protocol to be used to exchange configuration information, wherein the protocol is supported by the first port; exchange configuration information by the first port with the second port using the protocol after determining, by the first port, that the second port supports the protocol; and configure the first port according to the exchanged configuration information, wherein the first port is configured to support VSANs that are supported by both the first port and the second port. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first port; a memory; and a processor, at least one of the memory or the processor being configured to do the following; determine, via information exchanged via the first port, that a second port supports Exchange Peer Parameters protocol; exchange, via the first port, configuration information with the second port using Exchange Peer Parameters protocol; and automatically configure the first port according to the exchanged information; wherein the processor is configured to enable the first port to transmit frames to the second port in Extended Interswitch Link format.
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16. A method, comprising:
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determining, by a first port of a first network device, whether a second port of a second network device supports Exchange Peer Parameters protocol, wherein the first port of the first network device supports the Exchange Peer Parameters protocol; and if the first port of the first network device determines that the second port of the second network device supports the Exchange Peer Parameters protocol, exchanging configuration information with the second port using the Exchange Peer Parameters protocol and automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged information; wherein the configuring step comprises configuring the first port to enable transmission of frames to the second port in Extended Interswitch Link format.
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20. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first port; a memory; and a processor, at least one of the memory or the processor being configured to do the following; determining, by the first port, that a second port of a second network device supports a protocol to be used to exchange configuration information, wherein the protocol is supported by the first port; exchanging configuration information by the first port with the second port using the protocol after determining, by the first port, that the second port supports the protocol; and automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged configuration information; wherein only VSANs that are supported by both the first port and the second port are permitted to send frames on a link between the first port and the second port.
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24. A method comprising:
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exchanging configuration information by a first port of a first network device with a second port of a second network device, wherein exchanging configuration information includes; sending first configuration information to the second port, wherein the first configuration information comprises virtual storage area network information indicating one or more VSANs that are supported by the first port, and receiving second configuration information from the second port, wherein the second configuration information comprises virtual storage area network information indicating one or more virtual storage area networks (VSANs) that are supported by the second port; identifying one or more VSANs that are supported by both the first port and the second port by comparing the VSANs supported by the first port with the VSANs supported by the second port; and automatically configuring the first port according to the exchanged configuration information by automatically configuring the first port to support the VSANs that are supported by both the first port and the second port.
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Specification