Systems and methods for topology discovery and application in a border gateway protocol based data center

• US 9,225,624 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Venkataswami, Balaji Venkat, Bhikkaji, Bhargav, Perumal, Narayana Swamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Daftuar, Saket K
• Application Number:
  US13/723,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/233, 709/234, 709/236, 709/237, 709/238, 709/239, 709/240, 709/241, 709/242, 709/243, 709/244, 709/245, 709/246, 370/216, 370/238, 370/390, 370/392, 370/237, 370/355, 370/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/748 using longest matching prefix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 : Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 : across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]

Abstract

An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes a network orchestration service running on a computer processor. The network orchestration service provides a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) listener module and a topology builder module. The BGP listener module is configured to receive information from a plurality of spine devices configured as an autonomous system and the topology builder module is configured to use the information received by the BGP listener module to create a topology of a data center that includes the plurality of spine devices. Additionally, the network orchestration service is in communication with a memory that is used to store information received by the BGP listener module and the topology of the data center. Applications of the information handling system for better operating the data center are also provided.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a network orchestration service running on a computer processor, the network orchestration service providing;

a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) listener module, the BGP listener module configured to receive information from a plurality of spine devices configured as an autonomous system; and

a topology builder module, the topology builder module configured to use the information received by the BGP listener module to create a topology of a data center that includes the plurality of spine devices,

wherein the network orchestration service is in communication with a memory, the memory being used to store information received by the BGP listener module and the topology of the data center.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the information from the plurality of spine devices includes a plurality of path information strands, each path information strand including a representation of a path through the data center.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein each path information strand includes a sequence of graph nodes, each graph node including a BGP router identifier and an autonomous system number.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the network orchestration service further provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user, the GUI comprising:

a visual depiction of the topology of the data center;

a tool bar including a plurality of buttons allowing a user to access and control network orchestration tools.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the GUI further comprises:

a visual indicator representing a failure of a link or a node;

a reroute indicator, the reroute indicator representing an alternate path to be used in response to the failure of the link or the node.

6. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the network orchestration tools include at least one of:

a first tool to pre-program alternate paths through the data center; and

a second tool to set usage thresholds for certain nodes or links in the data center.