Systems and methods for Zero-Touch Provisioning of a switch in intermediate distribution frames and main distribution frames

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11522754-B2
Application number	US-202017021249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2020
Priority date	Sep 15, 2020
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided herein for an improved method of Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) where a first switch receives a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier from a second switch, allowing the first switch to reach a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server. This may be accomplished by a first switch receiving a VLAN identifier from a second switch. The first switch then transmits a DHCP discover message using the VLAN identifier. The first switch then receives reachability information for a ZTP server from the DHCP server. The first switch uses the reachability information to establish a provisioning session between the first switch and the ZTP server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first switch, a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier from a second switch, the VLAN identifier identifying a VLAN to which a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server is connected;
transmitting, by the first switch, a DHCP discover message based on the VLAN identifier;
receiving, by the first switch, reachability information for a Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) server from the DHCP server; and
establishing a provisioning session between the first switch and the ZTP server using the reachability information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first switch is an access switch and the second switch is an aggregation switch.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the first switch, that the first switch does not have a startup configuration file; and
requesting, by the first switch, bootup information from the second switch.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
advertising, by the second switch, a message that includes the VLAN identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the advertising, by the second switch, occurs at defined time intervals.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, by a first switch, a VLAN identifier from a second switch, further comprises:
receiving, by the first switch, additional information related to ZTP from the second switch.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the additional information includes a second VLAN identifier or authentication information.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the authentication information includes a root of trust.

9. An apparatus comprising:
control circuitry; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the control circuitry, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
receive a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier from a first switch, the VLAN identifier identifying a VLAN to which a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server is connected;
transmit a DHCP discover message based on the VLAN identifier;
receive reachability information for a Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) server from the DHCP server; and
establish a provisioning session between the apparatus and the ZTP server using the reachability information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is an access switch and the first switch is an aggregation switch.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine that the apparatus does not have a startup configuration file; and
request bootup information from the first switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused, when receiving a VLAN identifier from the first switch, to receive additional information related to ZTP from the first switch.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the additional information includes a second VLAN identifier or authentication information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the authentication information includes a root of trust.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by control circuitry cause the control circuitry to:
receive a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier from a first switch, the VLAN identifier identifying a VLAN to which a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server is connected;
transmit a DHCP discover message using the VLAN identifier;
receive reachability information for a Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) server from the DHCP server; and
establish a provisioning session between the control circuitry and the ZTP server using the reachability information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is part of an access switch and the first switch is an aggregation switch.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further caused to:
determine that the control circuitry does not have a startup configuration file; and
request bootup information from the first switch.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further caused, when receiving a VLAN identifier from the first switch, to receive additional information related to ZTP from the first switch.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the additional information includes a second VLAN identifier or authentication information.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the authentication information includes a root of trust.

Assignees

• Arista Networks Inc

Inventors

• Narayanan Kumar
• French John

Classifications

• H04L41/0886

  Fully automatic configuration · CPC title

• H04L41/0806 Primary

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

• H04L12/4645

  Details on frame tagging (routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354) · CPC title

• H04L12/4641

  Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272) · CPC title