Virtual cluster switching
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A switch, comprising:
- forwarding circuitry configured to determine an output port for a packet encapsulated based on an encapsulation protocol, wherein an egress switch identifier of the encapsulated packet identifies a remote switch in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the encapsulation protocol allows forwarding in a routed network, and wherein the packet is encapsulated in a header forwardable in the routed network; and
control circuitry configured to;
maintaining a membership in the network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier, and wherein the fabric identifier is distinct from a switch identifier identifying a respective switch in the network of interconnected switches;
determine that the fabric identifier is assigned to the switch in response to the switch being a member of the network of interconnected switches, wherein the assigned fabric identifier indicates that the switch has joined the network.
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Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch system. The switch includes one or more ports on the switch configured to transmit packets encapsulated based on a first protocol. The switch further includes a control mechanism. During operation, the control mechanism forms a logical switch based on a second protocol, receives an automatically assigned identifier for the logical switch without requiring manual configuration of the identifier, and joins a virtual cluster switch.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A switch, comprising:
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forwarding circuitry configured to determine an output port for a packet encapsulated based on an encapsulation protocol, wherein an egress switch identifier of the encapsulated packet identifies a remote switch in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the encapsulation protocol allows forwarding in a routed network, and wherein the packet is encapsulated in a header forwardable in the routed network; and control circuitry configured to; maintaining a membership in the network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier, and wherein the fabric identifier is distinct from a switch identifier identifying a respective switch in the network of interconnected switches; determine that the fabric identifier is assigned to the switch in response to the switch being a member of the network of interconnected switches, wherein the assigned fabric identifier indicates that the switch has joined the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A switching system, comprising:
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a plurality of switches configured to transport packets using a first protocol;
wherein the switching system is identified by a fabric identifier identifying the switching system, wherein the first protocol allows forwarding in a routed network, and wherein the packets are encapsulated in headers forwardable in the routed network; andcontrol-circuitry residing on a respective switch; wherein the control module is configured to; maintain a membership in the switching system; determine that the fabric identifier is assigned to a switch in response to the switch being a member of the switching system, wherein the assigned-fabric identifier indicates that the switch has joined the switching system, and wherein the fabric identifier is distinct from a switch identifier identifying a respective switch in the switching system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method, comprising:
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determining an output port for a packet encapsulated based on an encapsulation protocol, wherein an egress switch identifier of the encapsulated packet identifies a remote switch in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the encapsulation protocol allows forwarding in a routed network, and wherein the packet is encapsulated in a header forwardable in the routed network; maintaining a membership in the network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier, and wherein the fabric identifier is distinct from a switch identifier identifying a respective switch in the network of interconnected switches; determine that the fabric identifier is assigned to a switch in the network of interconnected switches in response to the switch being a member of the network of interconnected switches, wherein the assigned fabric identifier indicates that the switch has joined the network of interconnected switches. - View Dependent Claims (18, 20)
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19. A switch means, comprising:
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a communication means for determining an output port for a packet encapsulated based on an encapsulation protocol, wherein an egress switch identifier of the encapsulated packet identifies a remote switch means in a network of interconnected switch means, wherein the encapsulation protocol allows forwarding in a routed network, and wherein the packet is encapsulated in a header forwardable in the routed network; and a control means for; maintaining a membership in the network of interconnected switch means, wherein the network of interconnected switch means is identified by a fabric identifier, and wherein the fabric identifier is distinct from a switch identifier identifying a respective switch means in the network of interconnected switch means; and determining that the fabric identifier is assigned to the switch means in response to the switch means being a member of the network of interconnected switch means, wherein the assigned fabric identifier indicates that the switch means has joined the network of interconnected switch means.
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Specification