Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090292813 | Address Assignment in Fibre Channel Over Ethernet Environments - A method of initializing a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) link between a Fibre Channel over Ethernet node (ENode) and Fibre Channel Forwarders (FCFs) in a network by discovering the presence of FCFs available to the ENode and other FCFs, assigning second MAC addresses to the ENode corresponding to each available FCF, and converting from a management and initialization process using the first MAC address to normal Fibre Channel operation using the second MAC addresses. The implementations described herein may additionally distinguish management and initialization processes from normal Fibre Channel operation using separate Ethertypes. | 11-26-2009 |
20090296726 | ACCESS CONTROL LIST MANAGEMENT IN AN FCoE ENVIRONMENT - A Fibre Channel Forwarder (FCF) suspends a fabric session with a virtual machine (VM) in response to receipt of a deregister message from the virtual machine through an Ethernet bridge and transmits a deregister acceptance message to the VM. The Ethernet bridge detects the messages and updates its Access Control List (ACL) to remove the MAC address of the VM. While the fabric session is suspended, a virtual machine may migrate to another physical machine without terminating its connection to the fabric. After migration, the FCF resumes its fabric session with the VM in response to receipt of a register message from the VM through a second Ethernet bridge. The FCF responds to the register message with a register acceptance message. The Ethernet bridge detects the messages and updates its Access Control List (ACL) to add the MAC address of the VM. | 12-03-2009 |
20100246388 | REDUNDANT HOST CONNECTION IN A ROUTED NETWORK - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a management mechanism and a configuration mechanism. During operation, the management mechanism is configured to operate the switch in conjunction with the partner switch as a single logical switch. The configuration mechanism is configured to assign a virtual switch identifier to the logical switch. | 09-30-2010 |
20110299414 | PRESERVING QUALITY OF SERVICE ACROSS TRILL NETWORKS - Systems and techniques for processing and/or forwarding packets are described. An ingress switch can use a QoS mapping mechanism to map a first set of Quality of Service (QoS) bits in a packet received from a customer to a second set of QoS bits for use in a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) packet which encapsulates the packet. The first set of QoS bits can be different from the second set of QoS bits. The TRILL packet can be processed and/or forwarded in the network based on the second set of QoS bits. At the egress switch, the TRILL packet can be decapsulated and the original packet with the original QoS bits (or QoS bits that are different from the original QoS bits) can be forwarded to the customer's network. In this manner, some embodiments of the present invention can preserve the QoS bits across a TRILL network. | 12-08-2011 |
20110299527 | SUPPORTING MULTIPLE MULTICAST TREES IN TRILL NETWORKS - Systems and techniques for supporting multiple multicast trees are described. Some embodiments provide a system that determines an internal multicast group identifier based on a source address, a multicast address, and a multicast tree identifier field associated with a multicast packet. The system can then forward the multicast packet based on the internal multicast group identifier. Specifically, the system can determine a first set of bits based on the source address and the multicast address of the multicast packet. The system can determine a second set of bits based on the multicast tree identifier field of the multicast packet. Next, the system can combine the first set of bits and the second set of bits to obtain the internal multicast group identifier. In some embodiments, the scope of an internal virtual network identifier does not extend beyond a switch or a forwarding module within a switch. | 12-08-2011 |
20110299528 | NETWORK LAYER MULTICASTING IN TRILL NETWORKS - Systems and techniques for performing network layer multicasting in a TRILL network are described. Some embodiments provide a system that receives multicast packet that includes a network-layer multicast-address. The multicast packet can be received on a first multicast tree associated with a first virtual network. Next, the system can determine, based on the network-layer multicast-address, a second multicast tree associated with a second virtual network over which the multicast packet is to be forwarded. The system can then forward the multicast packet on the first multicast tree associated with the first virtual network, and forward a copy of the multicast packet on the second multicast tree associated with the second virtual network. | 12-08-2011 |
20110299531 | FLOODING PACKETS ON A PER-VIRTUAL-NETWORK BASIS - Methods and techniques for flooding packets on a per-virtual-network basis are described. Some embodiments provide a method (e.g., a switch) which determines an internal virtual network identifier based on one or more fields in a packet's header. Next, the method performs a forwarding lookup operation based on the internal virtual network identifier. If the forwarding lookup operation succeeds, the method can process and forward the packet accordingly. However, if the forwarding lookup operation fails, the method can determine a set of egress ports based on the internal virtual network identifier. Next, for each egress port in the set of egress ports, the method can flood the packet if a virtual network identifier in the packet's header is associated with the egress port. Flooding packets on a per-virtual-network basis can substantially reduce the amount of resources required to flood the packet when a forwarding lookup operation fails. | 12-08-2011 |
20110299533 | INTERNAL VIRTUAL NETWORK IDENTIFIER AND INTERNAL POLICY IDENTIFIER - Systems and techniques for processing and forwarding packets are described. Some embodiments provide a system (e.g., a switch) which determines an internal virtual network identifier and/or an internal policy identifier for a packet based on a port on which the packet was received and/or one or more fields in the packet. The system can then process and forward the packet based on the internal virtual network identifier and/or internal policy identifier. In some embodiments, the system encapsulates the packet in a TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links) packet by adding a TRILL header to the packet. In some embodiments, the scope of an internal virtual network identifier and/or an internal policy identifier may not extend beyond a switch or a module within a switch. | 12-08-2011 |
20120063316 | CONGESTION NOTIFICATION ACROSS MULTIPLE LAYER-2 DOMAINS - One embodiment of the present invention provides a congestion notification. During operation, the system receives a congestion notification message with a destination layer-2 address set as the receiving mechanism's layer-2 address. The system modifies a destination layer-2 address, a source layer-2 address, and optionally a VLAN identifier of the congestion notification message, and forwards the modified congestion notification message. | 03-15-2012 |
20120163164 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOTE LOAD BALANCING IN HIGH-AVAILABILITY NETWORKS - A system is provided for facilitating remote load balancing in a high-availability network. During operation, the system receives a plurality of data frames destined for a destination device, wherein the destination device is coupled to a network via a trunk link, the trunk link coupling the destination device to at least two separate egress switching devices. The system then forwards the data frames via at least two data paths, each of which leads to a respective egress switching device. | 06-28-2012 |
20120176893 | CONGESTION NOTIFICATION IN PRIVATE VLANS - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. During operation, in a network with a private VLAN configuration, the switch allows a congestion notification message with an isolated virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID) to be forwarded via an isolated VLAN port. | 07-12-2012 |
20120201138 | QUALITY OF SERVICE IN A HETEROGENEOUS NETWORK - A network device provides priority map storage configured to store one or more mapping data structures for mapping multiple priorities of a first priority scheme to multiple priorities of a second priority scheme. In addition, mapping logic of the network devices is coupled to the priority map storage and configured to translate a first priority of a first frame of the first priority scheme to a second priority of the second priority scheme and to assign the second priority to a second frame carrying payload of the first frame in preparation of transmission of the second frame in accordance with the second priority scheme. | 08-09-2012 |
20120281700 | LAYER-3 SUPPORT IN TRILL NETWORKS - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes an IP header processor and a forwarding mechanism. The IP header processor identifies a destination IP address in a packet encapsulated with an inner Ethernet header, a TRILL header, and an outer Ethernet header. The forwarding mechanism determines an output port and constructs a new header for the packet based on the destination IP address. The switch also includes a packet processor which determines whether (1) an inner destination media access control (MAC) address corresponds to a local MAC address assigned to the switch; (2) a destination RBridge identifier corresponds to a local RBridge identifier assigned to the switch; and (3) an outer destination MAC address corresponds to the local MAC address. | 11-08-2012 |
20130003733 | MULTICAST IN A TRILL NETWORK - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. A switch includes a storage and a multicast management mechanism. The storage is configured to store an entry indicating a multicast group membership learned at a remote switch. The multicast management mechanism is coupled to the storage and is configured to suppress flooding of packets destined for the multicast group. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003738 | TRILL BASED ROUTER REDUNDANCY - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switching system. The switching system includes a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) header processor and an Internet Protocol (IP) header processor. The TRILL header processor is configured to identify a virtual routing bridge (RBridge) identifier in a packet, and the IP header processor is configured to identify a virtual IP address in the packet. The virtual IP address is assigned to a virtual IP router associated with the virtual RBridge identifier. | 01-03-2013 |
20140071987 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROVIDING REVERSE PATH FORWARDING COMPLIANCE FOR A MULTIHOMING VIRTUAL ROUTING BRIDGE - An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes a plurality of routing bridges coupled to at least one node. The node may be multihomed and logically coupled to the rest of the information handling system through a virtual routing bridge. Methods and systems are provided to allow multicast packets originating behind the virtual routing bridge to be properly handled to comply with reverse path forwarding. This may be accomplished by creating and selectively using a plurality of routing trees that include the paths between the virtual routing bridge and neighboring physical routing bridges. | 03-13-2014 |
20140153385 | REDUNDANT HOST CONNECTION IN A ROUTED NETWORK - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a management mechanism and a configuration mechanism. During operation, the management mechanism is configured to operate the switch in conjunction with the partner switch as a single logical switch. The configuration mechanism is configured to assign a virtual switch identifier to the logical switch. | 06-05-2014 |
20140192804 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING MULTICAST ROUTING IN AN OVERLAY NETWORK - An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes a first hypervisor running on a first host and a second hypervisor running on a second host. The first hypervisor managing a first virtual switch, and the second hypervisor managing a second virtual switch. The information handling system also includes a plurality of virtual machines (VMs), including a first VM, which is part of a first tenant, running on the first host, and a second VM, part of a second tenant, running on the second host. The first virtual switch has a mapping in memory that maps a customer-specific multicast IP address, used by the plurality of VMs to indicate a multicast group that includes VMs on the first and second tenants, to a global multicast IP address used by the first and second hosts. | 07-10-2014 |
20140269710 | PORT EXTENDER - An extended bridge structure that includes a controlling bridge and port extenders is disclosed. A port extender according to some embodiments of the present invention includes a processor that processes receives packets in a way that executes at least one procedure that substitutes for a function of the controlling bridge. A controlling bridge according to the present invention provides data to the port extender that enables it to execute the at least one procedure that substitutes for a function of the controlling bridge. | 09-18-2014 |
20140372582 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING VLAN-INDEPENDENT GATEWAYS IN A NETWORK VIRTUALIZATION OVERLAY IMPLEMENTATION - An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes a first hypervisor running on a first server and a second hypervisor running on a second server. The first hypervisor manages a first virtual switch and has an overlay forwarding table in memory supporting at least one virtual machine, while the second hypervisor manages a second virtual switch and also has the overlay forwarding table in memory and supports at least one other VM. The information handling system further includes a plurality of gateway devices coupled to the hypervisors. The gateway devices share a floating address and are configured to export a host route, associated with the address, into a corresponding entry in an underlay routing table to redirect network traffic from a first gateway device to a second gateway device. | 12-18-2014 |