Patent application number | Description | Published |
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 |
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 |
20130003601 | EXTERNAL LOOP DETECTION FOR AN ETHERNET FABRIC SWITCH - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a local identifier associated with the switch, a receiving interface, a loop detection mechanism, and an interface control mechanism. The receiving interface identifies a loop-detection frame which includes an identifier associated with originating switch of the frame. The loop detection mechanism detects a loop based on a match of the identifier associated with the originating switch and the local identifier. The interface control mechanism is coupled to the loop detection mechanism and precludes, in response to detecting a loop, the receiving interface from forwarding frames corresponding to the loop. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003608 | SPANNING-TREE BASED LOOP DETECTION FOR AN ETHERNET FABRIC SWITCH - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a local database, a packet processor, a data management module, and a tree construction module. The packet processor extracts spanning tree information associated with a remote switch. The data management module stores the extracted spanning tree information in the local database. The tree construction module assigns an interface state associated with a spanning tree to a local interface based on the extracted spanning tree information. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003729 | CLEARING FORWARDING ENTRIES DYNAMICALLY AND ENSURING CONSISTENCY OF TABLES ACROSS ETHERNET FABRIC SWITCH - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes an ownership management mechanism and a notification mechanism. The ownership management mechanism maintains a local ownership association between the switch, and a medium access control (MAC) address learned at the switch and terminates the local ownership association for the MAC address. The notification mechanism generates a first notification indicating the local ownership association and a second notification indicating the termination of the local ownership association. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003739 | SCALABLE MAC ADDRESS DISTRIBUTION IN AN ETHERNET FABRIC SWITCH - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a notification mechanism. The notification mechanism constructs a single message that contains a locally learned MAC address associated with a local device, a TRILL RBridge identifier associated with the switch, and an identifier of an interface associated with the MAC address. In some embodiments, the switch includes a data structure and an entry management mechanism. The data structure stores device information learned at a remote switch, wherein the device information includes a MAC address of a device, a TRILL RBridge identifier associated with the remote switch, an identifier of an interface coupled to the device, and a type indicator of the MAC address. The entry management mechanism manages an entry in the data structure based on the RBridge identifier and the interface identifier. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003747 | EFFICIENT TRILL FORWARDING - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a storage and a lookup mechanism. The storage stores a first table that contains an entry corresponding to a media access control (MAC) address of a device and an identifier of a remote switch associated with the device. The storage also stores a second table that contains an entry indicating a local outgoing interface corresponding to the remote switch. The lookup mechanism identifies the local outgoing interface corresponding to the device based on the first table and the second table. | 01-03-2013 |
20140198661 | MULTICAST TRAFFIC LOAD BALANCING OVER VIRTUAL LINK AGGREGATION - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises one or more ports, a link management module and a load balancing module. The link management module operates a port of the one or more ports of the switch in conjunction with a remote switch to form a virtual link aggregation. The load balancing module generates an index of a weight distribution vector based on address information of a multicast group associated with the virtual link aggregation. A slot of the weight distribution vector corresponds to a respective switch participating in the virtual link aggregation. In response to the index indicating a slot corresponding to the switch, the load balancing module designates the switch as primary switch for the multicast group, which is responsible for forwarding multicast data of the multicast group via the virtual link aggregation. | 07-17-2014 |
20140241364 | EFFICIENT TRILL FORWARDING - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a storage and a lookup mechanism. The storage stores a first table that contains an entry corresponding to a media access control (MAC) address of a device and an identifier of a remote switch associated with the device. The storage also stores a second table that contains an entry indicating a local outgoing interface corresponding to the remote switch. The lookup mechanism identifies the local outgoing interface corresponding to the device based on the first table and the second table. | 08-28-2014 |
20140247754 | SPANNING TREE IN FABRIC SWITCHES - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a packet processor and a spanning tree management module. The packet processor obtains information associated with a spanning tree from a message. The spanning tree management module, in response to the obtained information being superior to locally available information of the spanning tree, determines the port role of a local port of the switch for the spanning tree to be the root port and the port state of the local port for the spanning tree to be blocking. | 09-04-2014 |
20140362854 | INGRESS SWITCH MULTICAST DISTRIBUTION IN A FABRIC SWITCH - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes an inter-switch multicast module and an edge multicast module. The inter-switch multicast module identifies for a first replication of a multicast packet an egress inter-switch port in a multicast tree rooted at the switch. The multicast tree is identified by an identifier of the switch. The edge multicast module identifies an egress edge port for a second replication of the multicast packet based on a multicast group identifier. The multicast group identifier is local within the switch. | 12-11-2014 |
20150071122 | TRANSPARENT INTECONNECTION OF ETHERNET FABRIC SWITCHES - One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a fabric switch module and a border module. The fabric switch module maintains a membership in a first fabric switch. The fabric switch includes a plurality of switches and operates as a single logical switch. The border module determines that the egress switch identifier in a first encapsulation header of a first packet is associated with a switch outside of the fabric switch. The first packet is forwardable in the first fabric switch based on the first encapsulation header. In response to the determination, the border module changes the ingress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header of the first packet to a first virtual switch identifier associated with a first virtual switch. This first virtual switch externally represents the first fabric switch. | 03-12-2015 |