Guiding configuration of a switch stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12362997-B2
Application number	US-202318373121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2023
Priority date	Sep 26, 2023
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

In one embodiment, techniques are provided to guide a user to configure a switch stack. A recommendation and guidance facility may identify one or more network switches to be added to the switch stack. It may further identify any existing connections among ports. Using this information, the recommendation and guidance facility may build a set of configurations for the switch stack. The recommendation and guidance facility may calculate a resiliency score, select a configuration based on the configuration's respective resiliency score, and display one or more stack connection recommendations that are implementable by a user to achieve the selected configuration and the possible resiliency score.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for guiding configuration of a switch stack, comprising:
identifying, by software executing on a computing device, one or more network switches to be added to the switch stack;
identifying, by the software, any existing connections among ports of any existing network switches of the switch stack;
building a plurality of configurations for the switch stack to connect one or more ports of the one or more network switches to other ports of the one or more network switches or to ports of any existing network switches of the switch stack;
calculating, by the software, a resiliency score for each of the plurality of configurations, wherein the resiliency score is a measure of resistance to and impact of failure of a component of the switch stack;
selecting a configuration from the plurality based on the configuration's respective resiliency score; and
displaying, by the software to a user, one or more stack connection recommendations that are implementable to achieve the selected configuration and respective resiliency score.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the software, that the one or more stack connection recommendations have been implemented; and
displaying, by the software to the user, the respective resiliency score as a current resiliency score of the switch stack.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
monitoring the current resiliency score of the switch stack;
in response to the current resiliency score meeting a criteria:
building a reconfiguration for the switch stack,
calculating a new resiliency score for the reconfiguration, and
displaying to the user one or more stack connection recommendations that are implementable to achieve the reconfiguration and the new resiliency score.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing one or more text explanations for the one or more stack connection recommendations from a library of predetermined text explanations; and
displaying the one or more text explanations together with the one or more stack connection recommendations.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network switches are new network switches that are initially not coupled to a network.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
promoting, by the software, the user to connect the one or more new network switches to the network; and
establishing communication between the one or more new network switches and a central management facility, wherein the software is part of the central management facility.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network switches are existing network switches that are already coupled to a network, and the one or more existing network switches are already in communication with a central management facility, wherein the software is part of the central management facility.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switch stack includes one or more existing connections among ports, and the one or more stack connection recommendations includes a stack connection recommendation to change the existing connection.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the resiliency score comprises:
calculating an individual resiliency score of each network switch of the switch stack in the configuration to produce a set of resiliencies; and
using a lowest individual resiliency score from the set of resiliencies as the resiliency score for the switch stack.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the calculating the individual resiliency score comprises:
calculating a base risk of the network switch based at least in part on a type of stack connection for the network switch, a number of stack connection ports for the network switch, and/or throughput for stack connection ports for the network switch;
calculating a risk path score based on the base risk of any network switches between the network switch and a connection to a network;
adjusting the risk path score based at least in part on a number of free ports of the network switch to produce an adjusted risk score; and
converting the adjusted risk score to the individual resiliency score of the network switch.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by one or more computing devices operable to:
calculate a current resiliency score of a switch stack, wherein the current resiliency score is a measure of resistance to and impact of failure of a component of the switch stack;
build a reconfiguration for the switch stack, wherein the reconfiguration includes a change to implement a different stack topology for the switch stack, to use a different stack connection port on a network switch of the switch stack, to use a different connection speed for a port for a network switch of the switch stack, or to use a different number of connected devices for a network switch of the switch stack;
calculate a new resiliency score achievable by the reconfiguration; and
display to a user one or more stack connection recommendations that are implementable to achieve the reconfiguration and new resiliency score.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the software when executed is further operable to:
detect that the one or more stack connection recommendations have been implemented; and
display the new resiliency score as the current resiliency score of the switch stack.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the software when executed is further operable to:
monitor the current resiliency score of the switch stack,
wherein the operations to build the reconfiguration for the switch stack are performed in response to the current resiliency score meeting a criteria.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the software operable to calculate the new resiliency score comprises software operable to:
calculate an individual resiliency score of each network switch of the switch stack in the configuration to produce a set of resiliencies; and
use a lowest individual resiliency score from the set of resiliencies as the new resiliency score.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the software operable to calculate the individual resiliency score comprises software operable to:
calculate a base risk of the network switch based at least in part on a type of stack connection for the network switch, a number of stack connection ports for the network switch, and/or throughput for stack connection ports for the network switch;
calculate a risk path score based on the base risk of any network switches between the network switch and a connection to a network;
adjust the risk path score based at least in part on a number of free ports of the network switch to produce an adjusted risk score; and
convert the adjusted risk score to the individual resiliency score of the network switch.

16. An apparatus for guiding configuration of a switch stack, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more memories configured to store software, wherein the software when executed on the one or more processors is operable to:
identify one or more network switches to be added to the switch stack,
identify any existing connections among ports of any existing network switches of the switch stack,
build a configuration for the switch stack to connect one or more ports of the one or more network switches to other ports of the one or more network switches or to ports of a

Assignees

• Sophos Ltd

Inventors

• Dhamdhere Shilpa Sachin
• Toews Alan Charles

Classifications

• H04L41/0836 Primary

  to enhance reliability, e.g. reduce downtime · CPC title

• H04L41/0893

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title

• H04L2012/5623

  Network design, dimensioning, topology or optimisation · CPC title

• H04L2012/5609

  Topology · CPC title

• H04L49/55

  Prevention, detection or correction of errors · CPC title