Method and system of implementing conversation-sensitive collection for a link aggregation group
First Claim
1. A method executed by a network device for implementing conversation-sensitive collection for frames received on a port of a link of a link aggregation group, where a conversation consists of an ordered sequence of frames, and where the conversation-sensitive collection maintains the ordered sequence by discarding frames of conversations not allocated to the port to prevent out of order delivery of the frames of the conversations, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a frame over the link of the link aggregation group at the network device, wherein each frame is associated with a service identifier and a conversation identifier, the service identifier identifying the conversation at a link level for the service, the conversation identifier identifying the conversation at a link aggregation group level, and wherein the conversation is a data flow consisting of the ordered sequence of frames;
determining the conversation identifier for the frame, wherein determining the conversation identifier for the frame extracts the service identifier from the frame and translating the service identifier to the conversation identifier using a data structure that maps service identifiers to conversation identifiers;
comparing the conversation identifier with port conversation allocation, wherein comparing the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation accesses a conversation mask for the port using the conversation identifier as an index, the conversation mask matching an operational conversation mask of an associated port at a partner network device that sent the frame on the link;
discarding the frame in response to a non-match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation, wherein the frame is discarded at a link aggregation sublayer; and
forwarding the frame to an aggregator client in response to a match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is executed by a network device for implementing conversation-sensitive collection for frames received on a port of a link of a link aggregation group. The network device executes an aggregator to collect the frames for aggregator clients, where each frame is associated with a service identifier and a conversation identifier. The service identifier identifies a data flow at a link level for a service. The conversation identifier identifies the data flow at a link aggregation group level, where each conversation data flow consists of an ordered sequence of frames, and where the conversation-sensitive collection maintains the ordered sequence by discarding frames of conversations not allocated to the port.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method executed by a network device for implementing conversation-sensitive collection for frames received on a port of a link of a link aggregation group, where a conversation consists of an ordered sequence of frames, and where the conversation-sensitive collection maintains the ordered sequence by discarding frames of conversations not allocated to the port to prevent out of order delivery of the frames of the conversations, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a frame over the link of the link aggregation group at the network device, wherein each frame is associated with a service identifier and a conversation identifier, the service identifier identifying the conversation at a link level for the service, the conversation identifier identifying the conversation at a link aggregation group level, and wherein the conversation is a data flow consisting of the ordered sequence of frames; determining the conversation identifier for the frame, wherein determining the conversation identifier for the frame extracts the service identifier from the frame and translating the service identifier to the conversation identifier using a data structure that maps service identifiers to conversation identifiers; comparing the conversation identifier with port conversation allocation, wherein comparing the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation accesses a conversation mask for the port using the conversation identifier as an index, the conversation mask matching an operational conversation mask of an associated port at a partner network device that sent the frame on the link; discarding the frame in response to a non-match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation, wherein the frame is discarded at a link aggregation sublayer; and forwarding the frame to an aggregator client in response to a match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A network device configured to implement conversation-sensitive collection for frames received on a port of a link of a link aggregation group, where the conversation consists of an ordered sequence of frames, and where the conversation-sensitive collection maintains the ordered sequence by discarding frames of conversations not allocated to the port, the network device comprising:
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a set of aggregation ports configured to receive a frame over the link of the link aggregation group, wherein each frame is associated with a service identifier and a conversation identifier, the service identifier identifying the conversation at a link level for the service, the conversation identifier identifying the conversation at a link aggregation group level, and wherein the conversation is a data flow consisting of the ordered sequence of frames; and a network processor coupled to the set of aggregation ports, the network processor configured to execute a link aggregation sublayer including a frame collector, the frame collector configured to determine the conversation identifier of the frame, wherein the frame collector determines the conversation identifier for the frame, extracts the service identifier from the frame and translates the service identifier to the conversation identifier using a data structure that maps service identifiers to conversation identifiers, compare the conversation identifier with port conversation allocation, wherein the frame collector compares the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation by accessing a conversation mask for the port using the conversation identifier as an index, the conversation mask matching an operational conversation mask of an associated port at a partner network device that sent the frame on the link, discarding the frame in response to a non-match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation, wherein the frame collector discards the frame at a link aggregation sublayer, and forwards the frame to an aggregator client in response to a match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations for implementing conversation-sensitive collection for frames received on a port of a link of a link aggregation group, where the conversation consists of an ordered sequence of frames, and where the conversation-sensitive collection maintains the ordered sequence by discarding frames of conversations not allocated to the port, the operations comprising the steps of:
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receiving a frame over the link of the link aggregation group at the network device, wherein each frame is associated with a service identifier and a conversation identifier, the service identifier identifying the conversation at a link level for the service, the conversation identifier identifying the conversation at a link aggregation group level, and wherein the conversation is a data flow consisting of the ordered sequence of frames; determining the conversation identifier for the frame, wherein determining the conversation identifier for the frame extracts the service identifier from the frame and translating the service identifier to the conversation identifier using a data structure that maps service identifiers to conversation identifiers; comparing the conversation identifier with port conversation allocation, wherein comparing the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation accesses a conversation mask for the port using the conversation identifier as an index, the conversation mask matching an operational conversation mask of an associated port at a partner network device that sent the frame on the link; discarding the frame in response to a non-match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation, wherein the frame is discarded at a link aggregation sublayer; and forwarding the frame to an aggregator client in response to a match of the conversation identifier with the port conversation allocation.
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Specification