Automatic resolution of virtual network instance to VLAN mapping conflicts in dual-homed deployments in a dynamic fabric automation network architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9413612-B2
Application number	US-201414264856-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

In accordance with one example embodiment, there is provided a system configured for virtual local area network (VLAN) blocking on a virtual port channel (vPC) member link to handle discrepant virtual network instance (VNI) to VLAN mappings. In other embodiments, the system can be configured for providing Virtual Switch Interface Discovery Protocol (VDP) and virtual switch enhancements to accommodate discrepant VNI to VLAN mappings. In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor, where the apparatus is configured such that if a server is connected through a virtual port channel, a VDP is used to notify the server of different VNI to VLAN mappings. In another embodiment, the apparatus can extend a VDP Filter Info Field to carry a set of VLANs mapped to a VNI, keyed by leaf MAC addresses that serve as bridge identifiers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing virtual network instance (VNI) to virtual local area network (VLAN) mapping conflicts for a dual-homed server communicably connected to a first peer leaf and a second peer leaf over a virtual port channel (vPC), the method comprising:
receiving, at the first peer leaf from the second peer leaf, information identifying a first VNI as being mapped to a second VLAN at the second peer leaf, wherein the first VNI is being mapped to a first VLAN at the first peer leaf;
receiving, at the first peer leaf from the dual-homed server, a request for a VLAN mapping for a virtual machine associated with the first VNI;
detecting, in response to receiving the request, that the first VLAN is different to the second VLAN; and
in response to detecting the first VLAN is different from the second VLAN, blocking a link over the first VLAN connecting the first peer leaf to any virtual machine associated with the first VNI at the dual-homed server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein blocking the link comprises:
blocking a vPC link over the first VLAN connecting a virtual port at the first peer leaf to the virtual machine at dual-homed server to disallow traffic from the virtual machine to the first peer leaf using the first VLAN.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting to the dual-homed server a mapping of the first VNI to the second VLAN in response to the request.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine was, prior to the first peer leaf receiving the request, associated with the first VNI at a server connected to the second peer leaf and not to the first peer leaf.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information identifying the first VNI as being mapped to the second VLAN at the second peer leaf comprises:
receiving the information over a multi-chassis trunk link established between the first peer leaf and the second peer leaf.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting whether the first VLAN is different from the second VLAN comprises:
determining, at the first peer leaf, in a table mapping VNIs to VLANs, the first VLAN being mapped to the first VNI specified in the request for the VLAN mapping; and
comparing second VLAN against the first VLAN being mapped to first VNI in the table.

7. A first peer leaf for managing virtual network instance (VNI) to virtual local area network (VLAN) mapping conflicts for a dual-homed server communicably connected to the first peer leaf and a second peer leaf over a virtual port channel (vPC), the first peer leaf comprising:
at least one memory element;
at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory element; and
a mappings module that when executed by the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, at the first peer leaf from the second peer leaf, information identifying a first VNI as being mapped to a second VLAN at the second peer leaf, wherein the first VNI is being mapped to a first VLAN at the first peer leaf;
receive, at the first peer leaf from the dual-homed server, a request for a VLAN mapping for a virtual machine associated with the first VNI; and
detect, in response to receiving the request, that the first VLAN is different to the second VLAN; and
a blocking module that when executed by the at least one processor is configured to:
in response to detecting the first VLAN is different from the second VLAN, block a link over the first VLAN connecting the first peer leaf to any virtual machine associated with the first VNI at the dual-homed server.

8. The first peer leaf of claim 7 , wherein blocking the link by the blocking module comprises:
blocking a vPC link over the first VLAN connecting a virtual port at the first peer leaf to the virtual machine at dual-homed server to disallow traffic from the virtual machine to the first peer leaf using the first VLAN.

9. The first peer leaf of claim 7 , wherein the mappings module that when executed by the at least one processor is further configured to:
transmit to the dual-homed server a mapping of the first VNI to the second VLAN in response to the request.

10. The first peer leaf of claim 7 , wherein the virtual machine was, prior to the first peer leaf receiving the request, associated with the first VNI at a server connected to the second peer leaf and not to the first peer leaf.

11. The first peer leaf of claim 7 , wherein receiving, by the mappings module, information identifying the first VNI as being mapped to the second VLAN at the second peer leaf comprises:
receiving the information over a multi-chassis trunk link established between the first peer leaf and the second peer leaf.

12. The first peer leaf of claim 7 , wherein detecting, by the mappings module, whether the first VLAN is different from the second VLAN comprises:
determining, at the first peer leaf, in a table mapping VNIs to VLANs, the first VLAN being mapped to the first VNI specified in the request for the VLAN mapping; and
comparing second VLAN against the first VLAN being mapped to first VNI in the table.

13. A computer readable non-transitory medium comprising one or more instructions, for managing virtual network instance (VNI) to virtual local area network (VLAN) mapping conflicts for a dual-homed server communicably connected to a first peer leaf and a second peer leaf over a virtual port channel (vPC), that when executed on a processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations comprising:
receiving, at the first peer leaf from the second peer leaf, information identifying a first VNI as being mapped to a second VLAN at the second peer leaf, wherein the first VNI is being mapped to a first VLAN at the first peer leaf;
receiving, at the first peer leaf from the dual-homed server, a request for a VLAN mapping for a virtual machine associated with the first VNI;
detecting, in response to receiving the request, that the first VLAN is different to the second VLAN; and
in response to detecting the first VLAN is different from the second VLAN, blocking a link over the first VLAN connecting the first peer leaf to any virtual machine associated with the first VNI at the dual-homed server.

14. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , wherein blocking the link comprises:
blocking a vPC link over the first VLAN connecting a virtual port at the first peer leaf to the virtual machine at dual-homed server to disallow traffic from the virtual machine to the first peer leaf using the first VLAN.

15. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , further comprising:
transmitting to the dual-homed server a mapping of the first VNI to the second VLAN in response to the request.

16. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , wherein receiving information identifying the first VNI as being mapped to the second VLAN at the second peer leaf comprises:
receiving the information over a multi-chassis trunk link established between the first peer leaf and the second peer leaf.

17. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , wherein detecting whether the first VLAN is different from the second VLAN comprises:
determining, at the first peer leaf, in a table mapping VNIs to VLANs, the first VLAN being mapped to the first VNI specified in the request for the VLAN mapping; and
comparing second VLAN against the first VLAN being mapped to first VNI in the table.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kapadia Shyam
• Chang Rick
• Yang Yibin
• Nataraja Rajesh Babu

Classifications

• H04L12/4625

  Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge · CPC title

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L12/4641 Primary

  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

• H04L41/0816

  the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events · CPC title

• H04L49/354

  for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN] · CPC title