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-9467342-B2
Application number	US-201414266395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 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 over a first port and a second peer leaf over a second port, the method comprising:
receiving, at the dual-homed server, information identifying a first VNI as being mapped to a first VLAN at the first peer leaf and the first VNI as being mapped to a second VLAN at the second peer leaf, wherein the information is transported in an information field of a virtual station interface (VSI) discovery and configuration protocol (VDP) response from a bridge running the VDP protocol;
transmitting, from the dual-homed server, a first frame over the first port to which the first peer leaf is connected using the first VLAN;
when a second frame is to be transmitted to the second peer leaf, transmitting, from the dual-homed server, the second frame over the second port to which the second peer leaf is connected using the second VLAN.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the first frame comprises encapsulating the first frame using the first VLAN, and transmitting the second frame comprises encapsulating the second frame using the second VLAN.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
associating, at the dual-homed server via a discovery protocol, the first peer leaf with the first port and the second peer leaf with the second port.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining a table for mapping (1) the first VNI to a first VLAN for a first uplink switch having the first port and (2) the first VNI to a second VLAN for a second uplink switch having the second port.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises, for the first VNI:
(1) a first mapping of the first VLAN and a first media access control (MAC) address of the first peer leaf; and
(2) a second mapping of the second VLAN and a second MAC address of the second peer leaf.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field comprises information indicating a number of mapping entries mapping VNIs to VLANs, and for each mapping entry, the field includes:
(1) information indicating a particular VNI;
(2) media access control (MAC) address information indicating a MAC address of a particular leaf;
(3) VLAN information indicating a VLAN to which the particular VNI is mapped at the particular leaf; and
(4) MAC address information indicating a MAC address of the bridge running the VDP protocol.

7. A dual-homed server for managing virtual network instance (VNI) to virtual local area network (VLAN) mapping conflicts, the dual-homed server communicably connected to a first peer leaf over a first port and a second peer leaf over a second port, the dual-homed server comprising:
at least one memory element;
at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory element; and
a virtual switching module that when executed by the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, at the dual-homed server, information identifying a first VNI as being mapped to a first VLAN at the first peer leaf and the first VNI as being mapped to a second VLAN at the second peer leaf, wherein the information is transported in an information field of a virtual station interface (VSI) discovery and configuration protocol (VDP) response from a bridge running the VDP protocol;
transmit, from the dual-homed server, a first frame over the first port to which the first peer leaf is connected using the first VLAN;
when a second frame is to be transmitted to the second peer leaf, transmit, from the dual-homed server, the second frame over the second port to which the second peer leaf is connected using the second VLAN.

8. The dual-homed server of claim 7 , wherein transmitting the first frame comprises encapsulating the first frame using the first VLAN, and transmitting the second frame comprises encapsulating the second frame using the second VLAN.

9. The dual-homed server of claim 7 , wherein the virtual switching module that when executed by the at least one processor is further configured to:
associate, at the dual-homed server via a discovery protocol, the first peer leaf with the first port and the second peer leaf with the second port.

10. The dual-homed server of claim 7 , wherein the virtual switching module that when executed by the at least one processor is further configured to:
maintain a table for mapping (1) the first VNI to a first VLAN for a first uplink switch having the first port and (2) the first VNI to a second VLAN for a second uplink switch having the second port.

11. The dual-homed server of claim 7 , wherein the information comprises, for the first VNI:
(1) a first mapping of the first VLAN and a first media access control (MAC) address of the first peer leaf; and
(2) a second mapping of the second VLAN and a second MAC address of the second peer leaf.

12. The dual-homed server of claim 7 , wherein the field comprises information indicating a number of mapping entries mapping VNIs to VLANs, and for each mapping entry, the field includes:
(1) information indicating a particular VNI;
(2) media access control (MAC) address information indicating a MAC address of a particular leaf;
(3) VLAN information indicating a VLAN to which the particular VNI is mapped at the particular leaf; and
(4) MAC address information indicating a MAC address of the bridge running the VDP protocol.

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 operations comprising:
receiving, at the dual-homed server, information identifying a first VNI as being mapped to a first VLAN at the first peer leaf and the first VNI as being mapped to a second VLAN at the second peer leaf, wherein the information is transported in an information field of a virtual station interface (VSI) discovery and configuration protocol (VDP) response from a bridge running the VDP protocol:
transmitting, from the dual-homed server, a first frame over the first port to which the first peer leaf is connected using the first VLAN;
when a second frame is to be transmitted to the second peer leaf, transmitting, from the dual-homed server, the second frame over the second port to which the second peer leaf is connected using the second VLAN.

14. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the first frame comprises encapsulating the first frame using the first VLAN, and transmitting the second frame comprises encapsulating the second frame using the second VLAN.

15. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , further comprising:
associating, at the dual-homed server via a discovery protocol, the first peer leaf with the first port and the second peer leaf with the second port.

16. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , wherein the information comprises, for the first VNI:
(1) a first mapping of the first VLAN and a first media access control (MAC) address of the first peer leaf; and
(2) a second mapping of the second VLAN and a second MAC address of the second peer leaf.

17. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 , wherein the field comprises information indicating a number of mapping entries mapping VNIs to VLANs, and for each mappin

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

• H04L41/0803

  Configuration setting · CPC title

• H04L49/354

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

• H04L41/26

  using dedicated tools for LAN [Local Area Network] management · CPC title