VLAN bridging path for virtual machines in MVRP environment without administrator intervention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9240961-B2
Application number	US-201313853593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A bi-directional VLAN bridging path is created on an edge switch in an MVRP environment without administrator intervention using a virtual network profile (VNP) feature running on the edge switch. The VNP feature is configured to detect a device coupled to a port of the edge switch, learn the Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the device on a MVRP-VLAN and automatically convert the MVRP-VLAN to a VNP-Dynamic-VLAN corresponding to a static VLAN to create a bi-directional VLAN Port Association (VPA) for the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switch within an Ethernet network, comprising:
a port for coupling to an Ethernet link; and
a processor coupled to the port and configured to execute a virtual network profile (VNP) algorithm for the port to:
detect a virtual machine configured on a device coupled to the port via the Ethernet link;
learn a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the virtual machine and an associated Multiple Virtual Local Area Network Registration Protocol—Virtual Local Area Network (MVRP-VLAN), wherein the MVRP-VLAN is a dynamic type of VLAN; and
automatically convert the MVRP-VLAN dynamic type of VLAN to a corresponding VNP-Dynamic-VLAN static type of VLAN within the Ethernet network to create a bi-directional VLAN Port Association (VPA) for the virtual machine.

2. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the processor further executes the VNP algorithm to:
create a profile for the VNP-Dynamic-VLAN; and
associate the MVRP-VLAN to the profile.

3. The switch of claim 2 , wherein the processor further executes the VNP algorithm to:
apply authentication and classification rules to the MAC address of the virtual machine to identify the profile for the VNP-Dynamic VLAN and learn the MVRP-VLAN associated with the MAC address of the virtual machine.

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the processor further executes the VNP algorithm to:
determine the MAC address of the virtual device is tagged to the MVRP-VLAN to learn the MAC address on the MVRP-VLAN.

5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the VNP algorithm to:
detect an additional virtual machine coupled to the port via the Ethernet link;
learn a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the additional virtual machine on an additional MVRP-VLAN; and
automatically convert the additional MVRP-VLAN to an additional VNP-Dynamic-VLAN corresponding to an additional static VLAN within the Ethernet network to create a bi-directional VLAN Port Association (VPA) for the additional virtual machine.

6. The switch of claim 5 , wherein the additional MVRP-VLAN associated with the additional virtual machine is different from the MVRP-VLAN associated with the virtual machine.

7. The switch of claim 6 , wherein processor further executes the VNP algorithm to:
create an additional profile for the additional VNP-Dynamic-VLAN; and
associate the additional MVRP-VLAN to the additional profile.

8. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the processor further executes the VNP algorithm to:
apply authentication and classification rules to the MAC address of the additional virtual machine to identify the additional profile and learn the MAC address on the additional MVRP-VLAN.

9. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch is an edge switch within the Ethernet network.

10. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable the MVRP-VLAN to be propagated to the switch via the Ethernet network to create a uni-directional path to the switch through the Ethernet network prior to detecting the virtual machine on the port.

11. A method for dynamic configuration of a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) path within an Ethernet network, comprising:
detecting, at a switch within the Ethernet network, a virtual machine configured on a device coupled to a port of the switch;
learning a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the virtual machine associated with a Multiple Virtual Local Area Network Registration Protocol—Virtual Local Area Network (MVRP-VLAN), wherein the MVRP-VLAN is a dynamic type of VLAN; and
automatically converting the MVRP-VLAN to a corresponding VNP-Dynamic-VLAN within the Ethernet network to create a bi-directional VLAN Port Association (VPA) for the virtual machine, wherein the VNP-Dynamic-VLAN is a static VLAN.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
creating a profile for the VNP-Dynamic-VLAN; and
associating the MVRP-VLAN to the profile.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
applying authentication and classification rules to the MAC address of the virtual machine to identify the profile and learn the MAC address on the MVRP-VLAN.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining the MAC address of the virtual machine is tagged to the MVRP-VLAN to learn the MAC address on the MVRP-VLAN.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting an additional virtual machine coupled to the port of the switch;
learning a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the additional virtual machine associated with an additional MVRP-VLAN; and
automatically converting the additional MVRP-VLAN to an additional VNP-Dynamic-VLAN corresponding to an additional static VLAN within the Ethernet network to create a bi-directional VLAN Port Association (VPA) for the additional virtual machine.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the additional MVRP-VLAN associated with the additional virtual machine is different from the MVRP-VLAN associated with the virtual machine.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
creating an additional profile for the additional VNP-Dynamic-VLAN;
associating the additional MVRP-VLAN to the additional profile; and
applying authentication and classification rules to the MAC address of the additional virtual machine to identify the additional profile and learn the MAC address on the additional MVRP-VLAN.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
enabling the MVRP-VLAN to be propagated to the switch via the Ethernet network to create a uni-directional path to the switch through the Ethernet network prior to detecting the virtual machine on the port.

19. A switch operable in an Ethernet network, comprising:
a port configured to communicate via an Ethernet link; and
at least a processor configured to:
detect a virtual machine operating on a device communicating with the port via the Ethernet link;
learn a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the virtual machine and a dynamic virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the MAC address;
access a profile associated with the dynamic VLAN to determine a corresponding static VLAN; and
automatically convert the dynamic VLAN to the static VLAN, wherein the static VLAN creates a bi-directional VLAN path for the device in the Ethernet network.

20. The switch of claim 19 , further comprising:
a module that maintains a plurality of VLAN profiles, wherein the profile is one of the plurality of VLAN profiles and includes configuration information for the static VLAN and the dynamic VLAN associated with the profile.

Assignees

• Nagarajan Anil
• Kumar Sandeep
• Kubendran Arvind
• Bhatia Jagjeet S
• Vargas Edgard
• Alcatel Lucent

Inventors

• Nagarajan Anil
• Kumar Sandeep
• Kubendran Arvind
• Bhatia Jagjeet S
• Vargas Edgard

Classifications

• H04L49/35 Primary

  Switches specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title