Scalable MAC address distribution in an Ethernet fabric switch

• US 9,401,861 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Raman, Mythilikanth, Manohar, Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): Oveissi, David
• Application Number:
  US13/425,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/03 by updating link state protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a notification mechanism. The notification mechanism constructs a single message that contains a locally learned MAC address associated with a local device, a TRILL RBridge identifier associated with the switch, and an identifier of an interface associated with the MAC address. In some embodiments, the switch includes a data structure and an entry management mechanism. The data structure stores device information learned at a remote switch, wherein the device information includes a MAC address of a device, a TRILL RBridge identifier associated with the remote switch, an identifier of an interface coupled to the device, and a type indicator of the MAC address. The entry management mechanism manages an entry in the data structure based on the RBridge identifier and the interface identifier.

Claims

1. A switch, comprising:

a notification module configured to construct a single message comprising forwarding information of a plurality of end devices learned from one or more local ports of the switch;

wherein the forwarding information of a respective end device of the plurality of end devices includes a media access control (MAC) address learned from a port of the one or more local ports, a switch identifier of the switch, which is distinct from the MAC address, and an identifier of the port from which the MAC address has been learned.

2. The switch of claim 1, wherein the message is constructed in a type-length-value (TLV) format.

3. The switch of claim 1, wherein the message further includes an instruction to add, delete, or modify the forwarding information.

4. The switch of claim 1, wherein the forwarding information of a respective end device of the plurality of end devices further includes a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag and a type indicator associated with the MAC address, wherein the type indicator indicates a type of the MAC address.

5. The switch of claim 1, wherein the notification module is further adapted to construct a second message that includes an instruction to remove one or more entries from the data structure based on one or more of:

the identifier of the port;

a VLAN tag;

the switch identifier; and

any entry.

6. A switch, comprising:

a storage device storing a data structure comprising an entry including a media access control (MAC) address of a remote end device, wherein the MAC address is learned at a port of a remote switch, and wherein the remote end device is distinct from the remote switch; and

wherein the entry further includes a switch identifier of the remote switch, an identifier of the port from which the remote switch has learned the MAC address, and a type indicator of the MAC address, wherein the type indicator indicates a type of the MAC address; and

an entry management module configured to manage the entry in the data structure -based on the switch identifier and the identifier of the port.

7. The switch of claim 6, wherein the entry further includes a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag associated with the MAC address.

8. The switch of claim 6, wherein the entry management module is further configured to remove one or more entries from the data structure based on one or more of:

the identifier of the port;

a VLAN tag;

the switch identifier; and

any entry.

9. The switch of claim 6, further comprising a display module adapted to display contents of a respective entry in the data structure via a display device.

10. The switch of claim 6, further comprising a logical switch management module adapted to maintain a membership in a network of interconnected switches, wherein a respective switch of the network is configured to store a copy of the data structure.

11. A computer-executable method, comprising:

constructing a single message comprising forwarding information of a plurality of end devices learned from one or more local ports of a switch;

wherein the forwarding information of a respective end device of the plurality of end devices includes a media access control (MAC) address learned from a port of the one or more local ports, a switch identifier of the switch, which is distinct from the MAC address, and an identifier of the port from which the MAC address has been learned.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message is constructed in a type-length-value (TLV) format.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the message further includes an instruction to add, delete, or modify the forwarding information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the forwarding information of a respective end device of the plurality of end devices further includes a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag and a type indicator associated with the MAC address, wherein the type indicator indicates a type of the MAC address.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising constructing a second message that includes an instruction to remove a-one or more entries from the data structure based on one or more of:

the identifier of the port;

a VLAN tag;

the switch identifier; and

any entry.

16. A computer-executable method, comprising:

storing in a storage device a data structure comprising an entry including a media access control (MAC) address of a remote end device, wherein the MAC address is learned at a port of a remote switch, and wherein the remote end device is distinct from the remote switch; and

wherein the entry further includes a switch identifier of the remote switch, an identifier of the port from which the remote switch has learned the MAC address, and a type indicator of the MAC address, wherein the type indicator indicates a type of the MAC address; and

managing the entry in the data structure based on the switch identifier and the interface identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag associated with the MAC address in the entry.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing one or more entries from the data structure based on one or more of:

the identifier of the port;

a VLAN tag;

the switch identifier; and

any entry.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying contents of a respective entry in the data structure via a display device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining a membership in a network of interconnected switches, wherein a respective switch of the network is configured to store a copy of the data structure.