Virtual port grouping for virtual cluster switching

1. A switch, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

storing in a data structure information about a set of virtual port groups, wherein a respective virtual port group comprises a group of virtual ports, wherein a respective virtual port is a virtualized network port residing on a virtual machine, wherein a virtual port group includes virtual ports residing on a plurality of virtual machines, and wherein a virtual machine is a virtualized computing system running on a physical machine distinct from the switch;

determining whether a frame is traveling within a same virtual port group; and

preventing the frame from being forwarded upon a determination that the frame is not traveling within the same virtual port group.

2. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining a source virtual port group based on the frame's source media access control (MAC) address and virtual local area network (VLAN) tag.

3. The switch of claim 1 ,

wherein the method further comprises determining a destination virtual port group based on the frame's destination MAC address and VLAN tag.

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining the information about the set of virtual port groups from a virtual machine administrator.

5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch is a member switch of an Ethernet fabric switch, which includes a number of member switches; and

wherein the Ethernet fabric switch operates as a single switch.

6. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising encapsulating the frame with one or more of: a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) header and an Internet Protocol (IP) header.

7. A switch, comprising a virtual port grouping module adapted to:

determine whether a frame is traveling with a same virtual port group, wherein a respective virtual port group comprises a group of virtual ports, wherein a respective virtual port is a virtualized network port residing on a virtual machine, wherein a virtual port group includes virtual ports residing on a plurality of virtual machines, and wherein a virtual machine is a virtualized computing system running on a physical machine distinct from the switch; and

prevent the frame from being forwarded upon a determination that the frame is not traveling within the same virtual port group.

8. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the virtual port grouping module is further adapted to determine a source virtual port group based on the frame's source media access control (MAC) address and virtual local area network (VLAN) tag.

9. The switch of claim 7 ,

wherein the virtual port grouping module is further adapted to determine a destination virtual port group based on the frame's destination MAC address and VLAN tag.

10. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the virtual grouping module is further adapted to obtain the information about the set of virtual port groups from a virtual machine administrator.

11. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the switch is a member of an Ethernet fabric switch, which includes a number of member switches; and

wherein the Ethernet fabric switch operates as a single switch.

12. The switch of claim 7 , further comprising a forwarding module adapted to encapsulate the frame with one or more of: a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) header and an Internet Protocol (IP) header.

13. A method, comprising:

storing by a switch in a data structure information about a set of virtual port groups, wherein a respective virtual port group comprises a group of virtual ports, wherein a respective virtual port is a virtualized network port residing on a virtual machine, wherein a virtual port group includes virtual ports residing on a plurality of virtual machines, and wherein a virtual machine is a virtualized computing system running on a physical machine distinct from the switch;

determining whether a frame is traveling with a same virtual port group; and

preventing the frame from being forwarded upon a determination that the frame is not traveling within the same virtual port group.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining a source virtual port group based on the frame's source media access control (MAC) address and virtual local area network (VLAN) tag.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the virtual port grouping mechanism is further configured to determine a destination virtual port group based on the frame's destination MAC address and VLAN tag.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising obtaining the information about the virtual port groups from a virtual machine administrator.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the switch is a member switch of an Ethernet fabric switch, which includes a number of member switches; and

wherein the Ethernet fabric switch operates as a single switch.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising encapsulating the frame with one or more of: a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) header and an Internet Protocol (IP) header.

19. A switch means, comprising:

a virtual port grouping means for:

determining whether a frame is traveling

within a same virtual port group, wherein a respective virtual port group comprises a group of virtual ports, wherein a respective virtual port is a virtualized network port residing on a virtual machine, wherein a virtual port group includes virtual ports residing on a plurality of virtual machines, and wherein a virtual machine is a virtualized computing system running on a physical machine distinct from the switch means; and

preventing the frame from being forwarded upon a determination that the frame is not traveling within the same virtual port group.