Client auto-configuration in a multi-switch link aggregation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10277464-B2
Application number	US-201313786328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2013
Priority date	May 22, 2012
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch capable of auto-configuration of client devices for a link aggregation. The switch includes a packet processor, an auto-configuration module, and a link-aggregation management module. During operation, the packet processor extracts an identifier of a client device from a notification message received via a local port. The auto-configuration module, which is coupled to the packet processor, associates the local port with the identifier of the client device. If the packet processor recognizes the identifier of the client device in a message received from a remote switch, the link-aggregation management module forms a multi-switch link aggregation for the client device in conjunction with the remote switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switch, comprising:
one or more ports;
processing circuitry configured to obtain, from a first message from a client device, a device identifier of the client device, a port identifier of a port of the client device, and an indicator, which is distinct from the device identifier and indicates indicating whether the client device supports dynamic link aggregation; and
management circuitry configured to:
obtain, from a second message from a remote switch, the device identifier, wherein the switch and the remote switch are in a plug-and-play mode for forming a logical switch;
determine that the client device is multi-homed with the switch and the remote switch; and
determine whether the client device supports dynamic link aggregation based on the indicator;
in response to the indicator indicating that the client device supports dynamic link aggregation:
dynamically form a multi-switch link aggregation for the client device;
verify the multi-switch link aggregation based on a dynamic link aggregation protocol for detecting any misconfiguration; and
in response to detecting a misconfiguration, generate a notification message for the remote switch regarding the misconfiguration;

in response to the indicator indicating that the client device does not support dynamic link aggregation, generate a notification message for the remote switch regarding the multi-switch link aggregation.

2. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier of the client device is one of: a media access control (MAC) address of the client device and a hash value of the MAC address.

3. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first message is based on a discovery protocol; and
wherein the discovery protocol is one of:
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP);
Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP); and
Advanced Device Discovery Protocol (ADDP).

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first message further comprises one or more of:
name and description of the client device;
a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier associated with the port of the client device;
an Internet Protocol (IP) management address;
capabilities associated with the client device;
power management information; and
link aggregation information.

5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first message received is via a first port of the one or more ports of the switch;
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain the device identifier of the client device from a third message received via a second port of the one or more ports of the switch; and
wherein the management circuitry is further configured to form a local link aggregation for the client device using the first and second ports, wherein the local link aggregation is incorporated in the multi-switch link aggregation.

6. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the multi-switch link aggregation is represented by a virtual switch reachable from the switch and the remote switch, and wherein the virtual switch is identified by a virtual switch identifier associated with the switch and the remote switch.

7. The switch of claim 6 , wherein the packet processing circuitry is further configured to encapsulate, with an encapsulation header, a data frame received via the multi-switch link aggregation from the client device, wherein the virtual switch identifier is an ingress identifier of the encapsulation header.

8. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch and the remote switch are members of a network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier associated with the switch and the remote switch.

9. A method, comprising:
obtaining, from a first message from a client device, a device identifier of the client device, a port identifier of a port of the client device, and an indicator, which is distinct from the device identifier and indicates whether the client device supports dynamic link aggregation;
obtain, from a second message from a remote switch, the device identifier;
determining that the client device is multi-homed with a local switch and the remote switch, wherein the switch and the remote switch are in a plug-and-play mode for forming a logical switch;
determining whether the client device supports dynamic link aggregation based on the indicator;
in response to the indicator indicating that the client device supports dynamic link aggregation;
forming a multi-switch link aggregation for the client device;
verify the multi-switch link aggregation based on a dynamic link aggregation protocol for detecting any misconfiguration; and
in response to detecting a misconfiguration, generate a notification message for the remote switch regarding the misconfiguration;

in response to the indicator indicating that the client device does not support dynamic link aggregation, generate a notification message for the remote switch regarding the multi-switch link aggregation.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the device identifier of the client device is one of: a media access control (MAC) address of the client device and a hash value of the MAC address.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message is based on a discovery protocol; and
wherein the discovery protocol is one of:
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP);
Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP); and
Advanced Device Discovery Protocol (ADDP).

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message further comprises one or more of:
name and description of the client device;
a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier associated with the port of the client device;
an Internet Protocol (IP) management address;
capabilities associated with the client device;
power management information; and
link aggregation information.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message received is via a first port of the local switch; and
wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining the device identifier of the client device from a third message received via a second port of the local switch; and
forming a local link aggregation for the client device using the first and second ports, wherein the local link aggregation is incorporated in the multi-switch link aggregation.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the multi-switch link aggregation is represented by a virtual switch reachable from the local switch and the remote switch, and wherein the virtual switch is identified by a virtual switch identifier associated with the local switch and the remote switch.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising encapsulating, with an encapsulation header, a data frame received via the multi-switch link aggregation from the client device, wherein the virtual switch identifier is an ingress identifier of the encapsulation header.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the local switch and the remote switch are members of a network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier associated with the local switch and the remote switch.

17. A computing system, comprising:
one or more ports;
a processor; and
a non-transitory memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
obtaining, from a first message from a client device, a device identifier of the client device from a first message from the client device, a port identifier of a port of the client device, and an indicator, which is distinct from the device identifier and indicates whether the client d

Assignees

• Arris Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Yang Mei
• Suresh Ravindran
• Bhattacharyya Arijit
• Hu Maocheng

Classifications

• H04L41/0886 Primary

  Fully automatic configuration · CPC title

• Y02D30/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H04L41/0893

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title

• Y02D30/30

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D30/00

  Reducing energy consumption in communication networks · CPC title