Packet forwarding method and apparatus, and dragonfly network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12506679-B2
Application number	US-202418413963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2024
Priority date	Sep 28, 2021
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A first network device in a first device group receives a first packet that is sent by a first terminal device connected to the first network device and whose destination address is an IP address of a second terminal device connected to a second network device in a second device group. When a first inter-group interconnection link exists between the first network device and the second device group, and congestion does not occur on the first inter-group interconnection link, the first network device sends the first packet to the second network device through the first inter-group interconnection link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, applied to a dragonfly network, wherein the dragonfly network comprises a plurality of device groups, a plurality of inter-group interconnection links are between different device groups of the plurality of device groups, and the method comprises:
receiving, by a first network device, a first packet sent by a first terminal device connected to the first network device, wherein a destination address of the first packet is an internet protocol (IP) address of a second terminal device connected to a second network device, the first network device belongs to a first device group of the plurality of device groups, and the second network device belongs to a second device group of the plurality of device groups; when a first inter-group interconnection link exists between the first network device and the second device group, and congestion does not occur on the first inter-group interconnection link, sending, by the first network device, the first packet to the second network device through the first inter-group interconnection link; when congestion occurs on the first inter-group interconnection link, or no inter-group interconnection link exists between the first network device and the second device group, sequentially performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on a shortest intra-group bypass path, a local non-shortest direct-connected path, and a non-shortest intra-group bypass path between the first network device and the second network device until a target forwarding path is obtained; and sending, by the first network device to the second network device through the target forwarding path, a second packet obtained based on the first packet, wherein the shortest intra-group bypass path comprises an intra-group interconnection link between the first network device and a third network device in the first device group and an inter-group interconnection link between the third network device and the second device group, the local non-shortest direct-connected path comprises an inter-group interconnection link between the first network device and a third device group and an inter-group interconnection link between the third device group and the second device group, and the non-shortest intra-group bypass path comprises an intra-group interconnection link between the first network device and a fourth network device in the first device group, an inter-group interconnection link between the fourth network device and a fourth device group, and an inter-group interconnection link between the fourth device group and the second device group.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the first network device based on a congestion state of a global interface that is on the first network device and that is connected to the second device group, whether congestion occurs on the first inter-group interconnection link.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein sequentially performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on the shortest intra-group bypass path, the local non-shortest direct-connected path, and the non-shortest intra-group bypass path between the first network device and the second network device until the target forwarding path is obtained comprises:
performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on the shortest intra-group bypass path between the first network device and the second network device; and when the shortest intra-group bypass path on which congestion does not occur exists between the first network device and the second network device, using, by the first network device as the target forwarding path, any shortest intra-group bypass path on which congestion does not occur between the first network device and the second network device; when the shortest intra-group bypass path on which congestion does not occur does not exist between the first network device and the second network device, performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on the local non-shortest direct-connected path between the first network device and the second network device; when congestion determining on the local non-shortest direct-connected path between the first network device and the second network device is performed, and when the local non-shortest direct-connected path on which congestion does not occur exists between the first network device and the second network device, using, by the first network device as the target forwarding path, any local non-shortest direct-connected path on which congestion does not occur between the first network device and the second network device; when congestion determining on the local non-shortest direct-connected path between the first network device and the second network device is performed, and when the local non-shortest direct-connected path on which congestion does not occur does not exist between the first network device and the second network device, performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on the non-shortest intra-group bypass path between the first network device and the second network device; and when congestion determining on the non-shortest intra-group bypass path between the first network device and the second network device is performed, and when the non-shortest intra-group bypass path on which congestion does not occur exists between the first network device and the second network device, using, by the first network device as the target forwarding path, any non-shortest intra-group bypass path on which congestion does not occur between the first network device and the second network device.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on the shortest intra-group bypass path between the first network device and the second network device comprises:
determining, by the first network device based on a queue depth of a first outbound interface queue of a local interface that is on the first network device and that is connected to the third network device and a congestion state of a global interface that is on the third network device and that is connected to the second device group, whether congestion occurs on the shortest intra-group bypass path that is between the first network device and the second network device and that passes through the third network device, wherein the first outbound interface queue is used to forward a packet that is in the first network device and that is forwarded through the shortest intra-group bypass path.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on the local non-shortest direct-connected path between the first network device and the second network device comprises:
determining, by the first network device based on a congestion state of a global interface that is on the first network device and that is connected to the third device group, whether congestion occurs on the local non-shortest direct-connected path that is between the first network device and the second network device and that passes through the third device group.

6 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein performing, by the first network device, congestion determining on the non-shortest intra-group bypass path between the first network device and the second network device comprises:
determining, by the first network device based on a queue depth of a second outbound interface queue of a local interface that is on the first network device and that is connected to the fourth network device and a congestion state of a global interface that is on the fourth network device and that is connected to the fourth device group, whether congestion occurs on the non-shortest in

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hao Weiguo
• Li Jun
• Wen Huafeng

Classifications

• H04L45/566

  Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks · CPC title

• H04L45/42

  Centralised routing · CPC title

• H04L47/122

  by diverting traffic away from congested entities · CPC title

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• H04L45/122

  by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops · CPC title