Switch network architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10616142-B2
Application number	US-201515766002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2015
Priority date	Oct 12, 2015
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

One embodiment describes a network system. The system includes a primary enclosure including a network switch system that includes a plurality of physical interface ports. A first one of the plurality of physical interface ports is to communicatively couple to a network. The system further includes a sub-enclosure comprising a network interface card (NIC) to which a computer system is communicatively coupled and a downlink extension module (DEM) that is communicatively coupled with the NIC and a second one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the network switch system to provide network connectivity of the computer system to the network via the network switch system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network system to provide connectivity to a computer system, the network system configured as a network logical domain and comprising:
a plurality of enclosure groups, whereby each enclosure group is separately communicatively coupled to a network;
whereby each of the enclosure groups includes a primary enclosure and one or more sub-enclosures;

whereby each of the primary enclosures comprises a single network switch system that comprises a plurality of physical interface ports, wherein a first one of the plurality of physical interface ports is to communicatively couple to a network; and
whereby each of the sub-enclosure comprises:
a respective computer system to which a network interface card (NIC) is coupled and
a downlink extension module (DEM) that is communicatively coupled with the computer system and a respective second one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the network switch system of the respective one of the primary enclosures to provide network connectivity of the computer system to the network via the network switch system in the respective primary enclosure,
and in that the network switch system of each of the primary enclosures is coupled to a network switch system of two other primary enclosures.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-enclosure comprises a first computer system to which a first NIC is coupled, wherein the primary enclosure further comprises a second computer system to which a second NIC is coupled to provide network connectivity of the second computer system to the network via the network switch system.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-enclosure is a first sub-enclosure comprising a first computer system to which a first NIC is coupled and a first DEM, the system further comprising a second sub-enclosure comprising a second computer system to which a second NIC is coupled and a second DEM that is communicatively coupled with a third one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the network switch system to provide network connectivity of the second computer system to the network via the network switch system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary enclosure is a first primary enclosure comprising a first network switch system that comprises a plurality of physical interface ports, wherein the sub-enclosure is a first sub-enclosure comprising a first computer system to which a first NIC is coupled and a first DEM, the system further comprising:
a second primary enclosure comprising a second network switch system that comprises a plurality of physical interface ports, wherein a first one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the second network switch system is to communicatively couple to the network; and
a second sub-enclosure comprising a second computer system to which a second NIC is coupled and a second DEM that is communicatively coupled with a second one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the second network switch system to provide network connectivity of the second computer system to the network via the second network switch system, wherein the first and second primary enclosures and the first and second sub-enclosures are collectively arranged as a network logical domain.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a third one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the first network switch system associated with the first primary enclosure is communicatively coupled with a third one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the second network switch system associated with the second primary enclosure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary enclosure is configured as a blade enclosure, wherein the network switch system is configured as a blade switch system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary enclosure is configured as a top-of-rack (ToR) enclosure, wherein the network switch system is configured as a ToR switch system.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network switch system is a first network switch system and the DEM is a first DEM, wherein the sub-enclosure further comprises a second network switch system that comprises a corresponding plurality of physical interface ports, wherein a first one of the corresponding plurality of physical interface ports is to communicatively couple to the network, and wherein the primary enclosure further comprises a second DEM that is communicatively coupled with a second one of the corresponding plurality of physical interface ports of the second network switch system.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of primary enclosures and a plurality of sub-enclosures, wherein a quantity of the plurality of sub-enclosures is greater than a quantity of the plurality of primary enclosures, such that the network switch system associated with each of at least a portion of the plurality of primary enclosures is communicatively coupled to a DEM associated with each of a plural grouping of the plurality of sub-enclosures via respective physical interface ports of the network switch system associated with each of the at least a portion of the plurality of primary enclosures.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of primary enclosures, wherein each of the plurality of primary enclosures further comprises a respective additional computer system to which a respective additional NIC is coupled to provide network connectivity of the respective additional computer system to the network via the network switch system.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Vu Paul
• Zhang Guodong
• Witkowski Mike
• Butler John
• Teisberg Robert

Classifications

• H04L49/45

  Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion · CPC title

• H04L49/15

  Interconnection of switching modules · CPC title

• H04L49/455 Primary

  Provisions for supporting expansion in ATM switches · CPC title

• H04L49/351

  for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches · CPC title

• H04L49/1576

  Crossbar or matrix · CPC title