Methods and apparatus for control protocol validation of a switch fabric system

• US 9,042,402 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Jagannadhan, Srinivasan, Loganathan, Jaihari V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US13/104,423
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 370230-234, 370346-350, 370419-428, 370360-388, 370/463, 370537-544, 375/346
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first network control entity within a control plane of a switch fabric system. The first network control entity is configured to receive a first test signal including a test instruction to be implemented within the switch fabric system. The first network control entity is configured to send a second test signal including the test instruction to a second network control entity such that the second network control entity implements the test instruction for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first network control entity within a control plane of a switch fabric system, the first network control entity configured to receive a first test signal including a test instruction to be implemented within the switch fabric system, the first network control entity not collocated with a module associated with a data plane of the switch fabric system,

the first network control entity configured to send a second test signal including the test instruction to a second network control entity such that the second network control entity can update, based on the test instruction, a routing table at the second network control entity from a first configuration to a second configuration for a predetermined amount of time,

the first network control entity configured to determine, based on an indicator in the test instruction, not to send the test instruction to a third network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data plane of the switch fabric system has a topology different than a topology of the control plane of the switch fabric system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test instruction includes at least one of an instruction associated with a virtual local area network (VLAN), an instruction associated with multicast distribution of a data packet within the data plane, or an instruction associated with route information of the data plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first network control entity is configured to receive, from the second network control entity, an acknowledgement signal indicating that the second network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first network control entity is configured to determine, based on the indicator in the test instruction, to send the second test signal to the second network control entity.

5. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

receive, at a first network control entity within a control plane of a switch fabric system, a first test signal including a test instruction to be implemented within the switch fabric system;

update, based on the test instruction, a routing table at the first network control entity from a first configuration to a second configuration;

send a second test signal including the test instruction to a second network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system without sending the test instruction to a third network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system;

receive a first acknowledgement signal from the second network control entity indicating that the second network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction; and

send a second acknowledgement signal to a network management module indicating that the test instruction was successfully implemented at the first network control entity and the second network control entity.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising code representing instructions to cause the processor to:

send a third test signal including the test instruction to a fourth network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system; and

receive a third acknowledgement signal from the fourth network control entity indicating that the fourth network control entity was unsuccessful in implementing the test instruction.

7. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising code representing instructions to cause the processor to:

withdraw the test instruction at the first network control entity a predetermined amount of time after implementing the test instruction at the first network control entity.

8. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the first network control entity is not collocated with a module associated with a data plane of the switch fabric system, the second network control entity being collocated with a module associated with the data plane of the switch fabric system.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second network control entity is not collocated with an access switch associated with a data plane of the switch fabric system, the second network control entity configured to manage a port on the access switch.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the test instruction includes at least one of an instruction associated with a virtual local area network (VLAN), an instruction associated with multicast distribution of a data packet, or an instruction associated with route information.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein a data plane of the switch fabric system has a topology different than a topology of the control plane of the switch fabric system.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the code representing instructions to cause the processor to send the second test signal is executed in response to the second network control entity satisfying a condition associated with the test instruction.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising code representing instructions to cause the processor to:

determine, based on the test instruction, not to send the test instruction to the third network control entity.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a first network control entity configured to receive a test instruction from a second network control entity in response to the first network control entity satisfying a condition associated with the test instruction, the first network control entity and the second network control entity being associated with a control plane of a switch fabric system, the first network control entity being collocated with a module associated with a data plane of the switch fabric system,

the first network control entity configured to update a routing table from a first configuration to a second configuration for a predetermined amount of time in response to receiving the test instruction, the first network control entity configured to send an acknowledgement signal to the second network control entity indicating that the first network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction;

the first network control entity configured to determine, based on the test instruction, not to send the test instruction to a third network control entity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data plane of the switch fabric system has a topology different than a topology of the control plane of the switch fabric system.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first network control entity is configured to withdraw the test instruction the predetermined amount of time after implementing the test instruction.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the test instruction includes at least one of an instruction associated with a virtual local area network (VLAN), an instruction associated with multicast distribution of a data packet, or an instruction associated with route information.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second network control entity is not collocated with a module associated with the data plane of the switch fabric system.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the second network control entity,

the second network control entity configured to determine not to send the test instruction to the third network control entity in response to the third network control entity not satisfying the condition associated with the test instruction, the third network control entity being associated with the control plane of the switch fabric system and collocated with a module associated with the data plane of the switch fabric system.