Deployment of hierarchical managed switching elements
First Claim
1. For a network controller that manages a network comprising a plurality of lower level switching elements for forwarding packets among a plurality of network hosts coupled to the lower level switching elements and a plurality of higher level switching elements for facilitating the lower level switching elements to forward packets among the network hosts, a method comprising:
- establishing a set of tunnels among the lower level switching elements and the higher level switching elements in a mesh configuration that, for each lower level switching element, has a tunnel established between the lower level switching element and at least one higher level switching element;
populating each higher level switching element in the plurality of higher level switching elements with a set of data for configuring the higher level switching element to process packets for a set of lower level switching elements connected to the higher level switching element through the established set of tunnels; and
populating each lower level switching element in the plurality of lower level switching elements with a set of data for configuring the lower level switching element to forward packets to other lower level switching elements, to a set of higher level switching elements through the established set of tunnels, and to the network hosts coupled to the lower level switching element.
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Abstract
Some embodiments provide a method that identifies several higher level switching elements for facilitating lower level switching elements to forward packets among network hosts. The method establishes a set of tunnels among the lower level switching elements and the higher level switching elements. At least one tunnel is established between a lower level switching element and a higher level switching element. For each higher level switching element in the several higher level switching elements, the method identifies a first set of forwarding data that specifies forwarding of packets between the higher level switching element and the several lower level switching elements. For each lower level switching element in the several lower level switching elements, the method identifies a second set of forwarding data that specifies forwarding of packets between the lower level switching element, the several of network hosts, and the several higher level switching elements.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. For a network controller that manages a network comprising a plurality of lower level switching elements for forwarding packets among a plurality of network hosts coupled to the lower level switching elements and a plurality of higher level switching elements for facilitating the lower level switching elements to forward packets among the network hosts, a method comprising:
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establishing a set of tunnels among the lower level switching elements and the higher level switching elements in a mesh configuration that, for each lower level switching element, has a tunnel established between the lower level switching element and at least one higher level switching element; populating each higher level switching element in the plurality of higher level switching elements with a set of data for configuring the higher level switching element to process packets for a set of lower level switching elements connected to the higher level switching element through the established set of tunnels; and populating each lower level switching element in the plurality of lower level switching elements with a set of data for configuring the lower level switching element to forward packets to other lower level switching elements, to a set of higher level switching elements through the established set of tunnels, and to the network hosts coupled to the lower level switching element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. For a network controller that manages a network comprising a plurality of edge-switching elements for forwarding packets among a plurality of network hosts coupled to the edge switching elements and a plurality of non-edge switching elements for facilitating the edge switching elements to forward packets among the network hosts, a method comprising:
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establishing a set of tunnels among the edge switching elements and the non-edge switching elements in a mesh configuration that, for each edge switching element, has a tunnel established between the edge switching element and at least one non-edge switching element; populating each non-edge switching element in the plurality of non-edge switching elements with a set of data for configuring the non-edge switching element to process packets for a set of edge switching elements connected to the non-edge switching elements through the established set of tunnels; and populating each edge switching element in the plurality of edge switching elements with a set of data for configuring the edge switching element to forward packets to other edge switching elements, to a set of non-edge switching elements through the established set of tunnels, and to the network hosts coupled to the edge switching element. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification