Virtual MAC address, mask-based, packet forwarding

1. A method for forwarding a packet, comprising:

obtaining a primary packet;

in response to determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the primary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to an access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address, encapsulating the primary packet with a Very Large Layer 2 (VLL2) network protocol header; and

sending the encapsulated primary packet to an access device associated with the access device, mask-based virtual MAC address,

wherein the VLL2 network protocol is a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (Trill) protocol or a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining a secondary packet;

in response to determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the secondary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to a data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address, encapsulating the secondary packet with a data center interconnecting (DCI) protocol header; and

sending the encapsulated secondary packet to a data center associated with the data center, mask-based virtual MAC address access.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary packet is destined to a host within a remote data center.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the DCI protocol is an Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV) protocol or an Ethernet Virtualization Interconnection (EVI) protocol.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operation of determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the secondary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to a data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address comprises:

determining whether the virtual MAC address of the secondary packet and the data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address have a same data center identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary packet is destined to a host within a local data center.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the primary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to an access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address comprises:

determining whether the virtual MAC address and the access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address have a same data center identifier and a same access device identifier.

8. A switch, comprising:

a first storage, to store machine readable instructions;

a second storage, to store a Layer 2 forwarding table; and

a processor, to execute the machine readable instructions to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a primary packet;

in response to determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the primary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to an access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address, encapsulating the primary packet with a Very Large Layer 2 (VLL2) network protocol header, wherein determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the primary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to an access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address comprises determining whether the virtual MAC address and the access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address have a same data center identifier and a same access device identifier; and

sending the encapsulated primary packet to an access device associated with the access device, mask-based virtual MAC address.

9. The switch of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further to execute the machine readable instructions to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a secondary packet;

in response to determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the secondary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to a data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address, encapsulating the secondary packet with a data center interconnecting (DCI) protocol header; and

sending the encapsulated secondary packet to a data center associated with the data center, mask-based virtual MAC address access.

10. The switch of claim 9 , wherein the secondary packet is destined to a node within a remote data center.

11. The switch of claim 9 , wherein the DCI protocol is an Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV) protocol or an Ethernet Virtualization Interconnection (EVI) protocol.

12. The switch of claim 9 , wherein the operation of determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the secondary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to a data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address comprises determining whether the virtual MAC address of the secondary packet and the data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address have a same data center identifier.

13. The switch of claim 8 , wherein the primary packet is destined to a host within a local data center.

14. The switch of claim 8 , wherein the VLL2 network protocol is a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (Trill) protocol or a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a primary packet;

determining whether a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the primary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to an access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address based on determining whether the virtual MAC address and the access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address have a same data center identifier and a same access device identifier;

in response to determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the primary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to an access device, mask-based, virtual MAC address, encapsulating the primary packet with a Very Large Layer 2 (VLL2) network protocol header

sending the encapsulated primary packet to an access device associated with the access device, mask-based virtual MAC address.

16. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the storage medium stores additional instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a secondary packet;

in response to determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the secondary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to a data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address, encapsulating the secondary packet with a data center interconnecting (DCI) protocol header; and

sending the encapsulated secondary packet to a data center associated with the data center, mask-based virtual MAC address access.

17. The storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the secondary packet is destined to a node within a remote data center.

18. The storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the DCI protocol is an Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV) protocol or an Ethernet Virtualization Interconnection (EVI) protocol.

19. The storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the operation of determining that a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the secondary packet is a virtual MAC address and belongs to a data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address comprises determining whether the virtual MAC address of the secondary packet and the data center, mask-based, virtual MAC address have a same data center identifier.

20. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the VLL2 network protocol is a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (Trill) protocol or a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol.