Method and system for network and intra-portal link (IPL) sharing in distributed relay control protocol (DRCP)
First Claim
1. A method supporting network and intra-portal link (IPL) sharing in a link aggregation group at a network device, wherein the network device and a neighbor network device are included in a first portal of the link aggregation group, wherein the network device is communicatively coupled to the neighbor network device via an intra-portal port (IPP) using an IPL, and wherein the IPL is a logical point-to-point link between the network device and the neighbor network device, the method comprising:
- transmitting frames on the IPL, wherein a physical link or aggregation link of the link aggregation group is dedicated to the IPL;
receiving a first type/length/value (TLV) message transmitted from the neighbor network device;
determining that the network device is configured with a network and IPL sharing method that is consistent with the neighbor network device, the network and IPL sharing method including sharing by at least one of time, tag, and encapsulation, wherein the network and IPL sharing method indicates sharing of the physical link or link aggregation between frames for the IPL and frames for another IPL or a network link of the link aggregation group, wherein the determining includes;
comparing a recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method with a home network and IPL sharing method of the network device, wherein the recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method is received from the first type TLV message; and
transmitting the frames between the network device and the neighbor network device using the network and IPL sharing method.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method supporting network and intra-portal link (IPL) sharing in a link aggregation group at a network device is disclosed. The method starts with transmitting frames on the IPL at the network device, where the physical link or aggregation link of the link aggregation group is dedicated to the IPL. The network device determines that the network device is configured with a network and IPL sharing method that is consistent with the neighbor network device, the network and IPL sharing method including sharing by at least one of time, tag, and encapsulation, where the network and IPL sharing method indicates sharing of the physical link or link aggregation between frames for the IPL and frames for another IPL or a network link of the link aggregation group. Then the network device transmits the frames between the network device and the neighbor network device using the network and IPL sharing method.
62 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method supporting network and intra-portal link (IPL) sharing in a link aggregation group at a network device, wherein the network device and a neighbor network device are included in a first portal of the link aggregation group, wherein the network device is communicatively coupled to the neighbor network device via an intra-portal port (IPP) using an IPL, and wherein the IPL is a logical point-to-point link between the network device and the neighbor network device, the method comprising:
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transmitting frames on the IPL, wherein a physical link or aggregation link of the link aggregation group is dedicated to the IPL; receiving a first type/length/value (TLV) message transmitted from the neighbor network device; determining that the network device is configured with a network and IPL sharing method that is consistent with the neighbor network device, the network and IPL sharing method including sharing by at least one of time, tag, and encapsulation, wherein the network and IPL sharing method indicates sharing of the physical link or link aggregation between frames for the IPL and frames for another IPL or a network link of the link aggregation group, wherein the determining includes;
comparing a recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method with a home network and IPL sharing method of the network device, wherein the recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method is received from the first type TLV message; andtransmitting the frames between the network device and the neighbor network device using the network and IPL sharing method. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A network device supporting network and intra-portal link (IPL) sharing in a link aggregation group, wherein the network device and a neighbor network device are included in a first portal of the link aggregation group, wherein the first portal is coupled with a second portal, wherein the network device is communicatively coupled to the neighbor network device via an intra-portal port (IPP) using an IPL and wherein the IPL is a logical point-to-point link between the network device and the neighbor network device, the network device comprising:
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ports coupled to the physical or aggregation link of the link aggregation group; and a network processor coupled to the ports, executing a distributed resilient network interconnect (DRNI) function, the DRNI function being operative to cause frames to be transmitted on the IPL, wherein a physical link or link aggregation of the link aggregation group is dedicated to the IPL, further operative to receive a first type/length/value (TLV) message transmitted from the neighbor network device, determine that the network device is configured with a network and IPL sharing method that is consistent with the neighbor network device, the network and IPL sharing method including sharing by at least one of time, tag, and encapsulation, wherein the network and IPL sharing method indicates sharing of the physical link or link aggregation between frames for the IPL and frames for another IPL or a network link of the link aggregation group, wherein the determination is to include to;
compare a recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method with a home network and IPL sharing method of the network device, wherein the recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method is received from the first type TLV message, and further operative to cause transmission of the frames between the network device and the neighbor network device using the network and IPL sharing method. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations at a network device to support network and intra-portal link (IPL) sharing in a link aggregation group, wherein the network device and a neighbor network device are included in a first portal of the link aggregation group, wherein the network device is communicatively coupled to the neighbor network device via an intra-portal port (IPP) using an IPL, and wherein the IPL is a logical point-to-point link between the network device and the neighbor network device, the operations comprising:
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transmitting frames on the IPL, wherein a physical link or link aggregation of the link aggregation group is dedicated to the IPL; receiving a first type/length/value (TLV) message transmitted from the neighbor network device; determining that the network device is configured with a network and IPL sharing method that is consistent with the neighbor network device, the network and IPL sharing method including sharing by at least one of time, tag, and encapsulation, wherein the network and IPL sharing method indicates sharing of the physical link or link aggregation between frames for the IPL and frames for another IPL or a network link of the link aggregation group, wherein the determining includes;
comparing a recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method with a home network and IPL sharing method of the network device, wherein the recorded neighbor network and IPL sharing method is received from the first type TLV message; andtransmitting the frames between the network device and the neighbor network device using the network and IPL sharing method. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification