Distributed configuration management for virtual cluster switching

1. A switch, comprising:

one or more ports;

control circuitry configured to:

maintain membership in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier; and

store in a storage device a set of configuration information for the network of interconnected switches; and

obtain a switch index for the switch, wherein the switch index indicates a slot reserved for the switch in the set of configuration information, wherein the slot is persistent for the switch in a respective member of the network of interconnected switches;

wherein the set of configuration information includes global configuration information associated with the network of interconnected switches and switch-specific configuration information associated with a respective member switch of the network of interconnected switches, wherein the global configuration information comprises the fabric identifier and a list comprising a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the network of interconnected switches, and wherein the switch-specific configuration information for the switch is stored in the slot.

2. The switch of claim 1 ,

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to construct a notification message for other member switches in the network of interconnected switches, wherein a payload of the notification message comprises a media access control (MAC) address learned via one of the one or more ports.

3. The switch of claim 1 , wherein a respective switch of the network of interconnected switches is associated with the fabric identifier; and

wherein the global configuration information further includes one or more of:

a switch identifier corresponding to a member switch; and

a switch identifier corresponding to a principal switch.

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch-specific configuration information for the switch includes one or more of:

configuration information associated with the one or more ports of the switch;

an indication of where the switch is part of the network of interconnected switches;

an indication of whether the switch is a principal switch in the network of interconnected switches;

a switch identifier for the switch;

the switch index, wherein the switch index is unique for the switch; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the switch.

5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch is assigned an IP address, wherein the IP address is derived from a switch identifier assigned to the switch.

6. The switch of claim 1 , wherein a port of the one or more ports is assigned a media access control (MAC) address, wherein the MAC address is derived based on an organizationally unique identifier of the port and a switch identifier assigned to the switch.

7. A method, comprising:

maintaining, for a switch, membership in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier; and

storing in a storage device of the switch a set of configuration information for the network of interconnected switches; and

obtaining a switch index for the switch, wherein the switch index indicates a slot reserved for the switch in the set of configuration information, wherein the slot is persistent for the switch in a respective member of the network of interconnected switches;

wherein the set of configuration information includes global configuration information associated with the network of interconnected switches and switch-specific configuration information associated with a respective member switch of the network of interconnected switches, wherein the global configuration information comprises the fabric identifier and a list comprising a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the network of interconnected switches, and wherein the switch-specific configuration information for the switch is stored in the slot.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising constructing a notification message for member switches in the network of interconnected switches other than the switch, wherein a payload of the notification message comprises a media access control (MAC) address learned via a port of the switch.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

identifying an update to the set of configuration information;

confirming whether the update is valid with respect to a second set of configuration information; and

based on the confirmation, constructing, for member switches of the network of interconnected switches other than the switch, a message comprising the update.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein a respective switch of the network of interconnected switches is associated with the fabric identifier; and

wherein the global configuration information further includes one or more of:

a switch identifier corresponding to a member switch; and

a switch identifier corresponding to a principal switch.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the switch-specific configuration information for the switch includes one or more of:

configuration information associated with the one or more ports of the switch;

an indication of where the switch is part of the network of interconnected switches;

an indication of whether the switch is a principal switch in the network of interconnected switches;

a switch identifier for the switch;

the switch index, wherein the switch index is unique and persistent for the switch; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the switch.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising assigning an IP address to the switch, wherein the IP address is derived from a switch identifier assigned to the switch.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising assigning a media access control (MAC) address to a port of the switch, wherein the MAC address is derived based on an organizationally unique identifier of the port and a switch identifier assigned to the switch.

14. A fabric switch, comprising:

a plurality of member switches; and

control circuitry residing on a respective member switch;

wherein the control circuitry residing on a first member switch configured to:

maintain membership in the fabric switch, wherein the fabric switch is identified by a fabric identifier; and

store a set of configuration information of the fabric switch; and

obtain a first switch index for the first switch, wherein the first switch index indicates a first slot reserved for the first switch in the set of configuration information, wherein the first slot is persistent for the first switch in a respective member of the fabric switch;

wherein the set of configuration information is replicated and stored in a storage device of a respective member switch of the fabric switch; and

wherein the set of configuration information includes global configuration information associated with the fabric switch and switch-specific configuration information associated with a respective member switch of the fabric switch, wherein the global configuration information comprises the fabric identifier and a list comprising a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the fabric switch, and wherein the switch-specific configuration information for the first switch is stored in the first slot.

15. The fabric switch of claim 14 , wherein the control circuitry of the first switch is further configured to:

identify an update to a local copy of the set of configuration information;

confirm whether the update is valid with respect to a second set of configuration information from a second switch of the fabric switch; and

based on the confirmation, construct a message comprising the update for other switches of the fabric switch.

16. The fabric switch of claim 14 ,

wherein the control circuitry of the first switch is further configured to, in response to the first switch being a member switch of the fabric switch, update the list of VLANs in a local copy of the set of configuration information based on a second list of VLANs in a second set of configuration information from a second switch of the fabric switch.

17. The fabric switch of claim 14 , wherein a respective switch of the fabric switch is associated with the fabric identifier; and

wherein the global configuration information further includes one or more of:

a switch identifier corresponding to a member switch; and

a switch identifier corresponding to a principal switch.

18. The fabric switch of claim 14 , wherein the switch-specific configuration information for the first switch includes one or more of:

configuration information associated with one or more ports of the first switch;

an indication of where the first switch is part of the fabric switch;

an indication of whether the first switch is a principal switch in the fabric switch;

a switch identifier for the first switch;

the switch index, wherein the switch index in unique and persistent for the first switch; and

an IP address assigned to the first switch.

19. A switch means, comprising:

a control means for:

maintaining membership in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier; and

storing in a storage device means a set of configuration information for a network of interconnected switch means; and

obtaining a switch index for the switch means, wherein the switch index indicates a slot reserved for the switch means in the set of configuration information, wherein the slot is persistent for the switch means in a respective member of the network of interconnected switch means;

wherein the set of configuration information includes global configuration information associated with the network of interconnected switch means and switch-means-specific configuration information associated with a respective member switch means of the network of interconnected switch means, wherein the global configuration information comprises the fabric identifier and a list comprising a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the network of interconnected switch means, and wherein the switch-means-specific configuration information for the switch means is stored in the slot.

20. A switch system means, comprising:

a plurality of switch means; and

a control means residing on a respective switch means;

wherein the control means residing on a first switch means for:

maintaining membership in the switch system means, wherein the switch system means is identified by a fabric identifier; and

storing a copy of configuration information of the switch system means; and

obtaining a first switch index for the first switch means, wherein the first switch index indicates a first slot reserved for the first switch means in the set of configuration information, wherein the first slot is persistent for the first switch means in a respective member of the switch system means;

wherein the set of configuration information includes global configuration information associated with the switch system means and switch-means-specific configuration information associated with a respective switch means of switch system means, wherein the global configuration information comprises the fabric identifier and a list comprising a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the switch system means, and wherein the switch-means-specific configuration information for the first member switch means is stored in the first slot.