Discovery protocol for enabling automatic bootstrap and communication with a service appliance connected to a network switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10003495-B1
Application number	US-201414492008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 20, 2014
Priority date	Sep 20, 2014
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

An example method is provided and includes configuring a service on a network element; associating a directly connected port with the service to create a port channel between the network element and a directly connected service appliance, the port channel comprising a plurality of member ports; performing an auto-discovery process for each of the member ports; and, upon successful completion of the performing, indicating on the network element that the service appliance is operational. In certain embodiments, the network element includes an intelligent service card manager module (“ISCM”) that forms part of a Remote Integrated Service Engine (“RISE”) element with a corresponding intelligent service card client module (“ISCC”) installed on the service appliance. The method may further include, upon unsuccessful completion of the auto-discovery process, repeating the auto-discovery process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
configuring a service on a network element, wherein the network element comprises a switch;
associating a directly connected port with the service to create a port channel between the network element and a directly connected service appliance, the port channel comprising a plurality of member ports;
performing an auto-discovery process for each of the member ports; and
upon successful completion of the performing, indicating on the network element that the service appliance is operational and automatically configuring the service appliance as a virtual line card on the switch, wherein the network element includes an intelligent service card manager module (“ISCM”) that forms part of a Remote Integrated Service Engine (“RISE”) element with a corresponding intelligent service card client module (“ISCC”) installed on the service appliance;
wherein the service appliance comprises a network node for performing network services in connection with data packets that traverse the network element; and
wherein the ISCM is implemented in a supervisor engine of the switch;
wherein the auto-discovery process comprises:
sending a request message from the ISCM to a Layer 2 Platform Dependent (“L2PD”) adapter disposed in the service appliance via the member port;
reformatting the request message by the L2PD adapter and forwarding the reformatted request message to the ISCC;
responding to the received reformatted request message by the ISCC and forwarding a response message to the L2PD adapter; and
reformatting the received response message by the L2PD and forwarding the reformatted response message to the ISCM via the member port; and
sending a BOOTSTRAP_4-APP message from the ISCC to an application implemented by the service appliance subsequent to receipt of the reformatted request message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
upon successful completion of the auto-discovery process, repeating the auto-discovery process.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding configuration information from the L2PD to a configuration manager for enabling the configuration manager to configure the service appliance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element is a switch.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing the auto-discovery process comprises:
executing a start message sequence;
subsequent to completion of the start message sequence, executing a port discovery message sequence;
subsequent to successful completion of the port message discovery message sequence, executing a discovery confirmation message sequence; and
subsequent to successful completion of the discovery confirmation message sequence, executing an end message sequence.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the end message sequence includes sending a configuration information message from the L2PD adapter to a configuration manager for configuring the service appliance.

7. Non-transitory tangible media having encode thereon logic that includes instructions for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:
configuring a service on a network element, wherein the network element comprises a switch;
associating a directly connected port with the service to create a port channel between the network element and a directly connected service appliance, the port channel comprising a plurality of member ports;
performing an auto-discovery process for each of the member ports; and
upon successful completion of the performing, indicating on the network element that the service appliance is operational and automatically configuring the service appliance as a virtual line card on the switch, wherein the network element includes an intelligent service card manager module (“ISCM”) that forms part of a Remote Integrated Service Engine (“RISE”) element with a corresponding Intelligent Service Card Client module (“ISCC”) installed on the service appliance;
wherein the service appliance comprises a network node for performing network services in connection with data packetsthat traverse the network element;
wherein the ISCM is implemented in a supervisor engine of the switch;
wherein the auto-discovery process comprises:
sending a request message from the ISCM to a Layer 2 Platform Dependent (“L2PD”) adapter disposed in the service appliance via the member port;
reformatting the request message by the L2PD adapter and forwarding the reformatted request message to the ISCC;
responding to the received reformatted request message by the ISCC and forwarding a response message to the L2PD adapter; and
reformatting the received response message by the L2PD and forwarding the reformatted response message to the ISCM via the member port; and
sending a BOOTSTRAP 4-APP message from the ISCC to an application implemented by the service appliance subsequent to receipt of the reformatted request message.

8. The media of claim 7 further comprising:
upon successful completion of the auto-discovery process, repeating the auto-discovery process.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory for storing data; and
a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and the memory cooperate such that the apparatus is configured for:
configuring a service on a network element, wherein the network element comprises a switch;
associating a directly connected port with the service to create a port channel between the network element and a directly connected service appliance, the port channel comprising a plurality of member ports;

performing an auto-discovery process for each of the member ports; and
upon successful completion of the performing, indicating on the network element that the service appliance is operational and automatically configuring the service appliance as a virtual line card on the switch, wherein the network element includes an intelligent service card manager module (“ISCM”) that forms part of a Remote Integrated Service Engine (“RISE”) element with a corresponding intelligent service card client module (“ISCC”) installed on the service appliance;
wherein the service appliance comprises a network node for performing network services in connection with data packets that traverse the network element; and
wherein the ISCM is implemented in a supervisor engine of the switch,
wherein the auto-discovery process comprises:
sending a request message from the ISCM to a Layer 2 Platform Dependent (“L2PD”) adapter disposed in the service appliance via the member port;
reformatting the request message by the L2PD adapter and forwarding the reformatted request message to the ISCC;
responding to the received reformatted request message by the ISCC and forwarding a response message to the L2PD adapter; and
reformatting the received response message by the L2PD and forwarding the reformatted response message to the ISCM via the member port; and
sending a BOOTSTRAP 4-APP message from the ISCC to an application implemented by the service appliance subsequent to receipt of the reformatted request message.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sharma Samar
• Parthasarathy Mitali
• Baveja Avni

Classifications

• H04L67/34

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title

• H04L41/0806 Primary

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title