Software-based fabric enablement
First Claim
1. A network device communicatively connected to other network devices via at least one network connection in a networking fabric, the network device comprising:
- a physical layer device;
an aggregation layer device;
an upper layer device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable memory having software instructions stored thereon, the software instructions executable by a processor to perform a method, the software codes comprising;
a first fabric abstraction layer communicatively coupled between the physical layer device and the aggregation layer device and configured to receive information about physical links from the physical layer device; and
a second fabric abstraction layer coupled between the upper layer device and the aggregation layer device, the second fabric abstraction layer comprising an application programming interface (API), the first fabric abstraction layer communicating the information about the physical links to a network fabric application configured to generate configuration instructions based on the information about the physical links to configure the at least one network connection, the second fabric abstraction layer configured to communicate the configuration instructions from the network fabric application to the first abstraction layer via a data link layer, the first abstraction layer providing for configuring the at least one network connection to transmit data according to the configuration instructions.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A first fabric abstraction layer couples to a data link layer and a physical layer of a network fabric device. The network fabric device is connected to other network elements within a network via at least one network connection, such as a fiber optic connection. A second fabric abstraction layer couples to the data link layer and an application of the network device. The second fabric abstraction layer provides an application programming interface (API) to the application. The API allows the application to generate configuration instructions for configuring the at least one network connection. Upon receiving the configuration instructions generated by the application, the second abstraction layer sends the configuration instructions to the first abstraction layer via the data link layer. The first abstraction layer then configures the at least one network connection to transmit data according to the configuration instructions.
88 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A network device communicatively connected to other network devices via at least one network connection in a networking fabric, the network device comprising:
-
a physical layer device; an aggregation layer device; an upper layer device; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory having software instructions stored thereon, the software instructions executable by a processor to perform a method, the software codes comprising; a first fabric abstraction layer communicatively coupled between the physical layer device and the aggregation layer device and configured to receive information about physical links from the physical layer device; and a second fabric abstraction layer coupled between the upper layer device and the aggregation layer device, the second fabric abstraction layer comprising an application programming interface (API), the first fabric abstraction layer communicating the information about the physical links to a network fabric application configured to generate configuration instructions based on the information about the physical links to configure the at least one network connection, the second fabric abstraction layer configured to communicate the configuration instructions from the network fabric application to the first abstraction layer via a data link layer, the first abstraction layer providing for configuring the at least one network connection to transmit data according to the configuration instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification