Virtual port grouping for virtual cluster switching

1. A switch, comprising:

a port configured to couple to a server hosting a number of virtual machines;

a storage device storing information regarding a set of virtual port groups, wherein a respective virtual port group in the set indicates a group of virtual media access control (MAC) addresses associated with corresponding virtual ports of virtual machines;

a virtual port grouping mechanism configured to:

identify a virtual port group for a frame based on the information in the storage device;

determine whether the frame is traveling from the virtual port group to the same virtual port group; and

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

2. The switch of claim 1 ,

wherein the virtual port grouping mechanism is further configured to determine a source virtual port group based on the frame's source MAC address and virtual local area network (VLAN) tag.

3. The switch of claim 1 ,

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.

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the virtual grouping mechanism is further configured to obtain the virtual port grouping information from a virtual machine administrator.

5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch is a member switch of a network of interconnected switches;

wherein the member switches are associated with a fabric identifier identifying the network of interconnected switches; and

wherein the network of interconnected switches is controlled as a single logical switch.

6. The switch of claim 1 , further comprising a forwarding mechanism configured to encapsulate the received frames with encapsulation headers.

7. A system, comprising:

a first switch coupled to a first server hosting a number of virtual machines; and

a second switch coupled to a second server hosting a number of virtual machines;

wherein the first switch comprises a virtual port grouping mechanism configured to:

identify a virtual port group for a frame, wherein a respective virtual port group indicates a group of virtual media access control (MAC) addresses associated with corresponding virtual ports of virtual machines

determine whether the frame is traveling from the virtual port group to the same virtual port group; and

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

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the virtual port grouping mechanism is further configured to determine a source virtual port group based on the frame's source MAC address and virtual local area network (VLAN) tag.

9. The system of claim 7 ,

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.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the virtual grouping mechanism is further configured to obtain the virtual port grouping information from a virtual machine administrator.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is a network of interconnected switches;

wherein the member switches are associated with a fabric identifier identifying the network of interconnected switches; and

wherein the network of interconnected switches is controlled as a single logical switch.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first switch further comprises a forwarding mechanism configured to encapsulate the received frames with encapsulation headers.

13. A method, comprising:

maintaining, by a switch, information regarding a set of virtual port groups in a storage device of the switch, wherein a respective virtual port group in the set indicates a group of virtual media access control (MAC) addresses associated with corresponding virtual ports of virtual machines;

identifying a virtual port group for a frame based on the information in the storage device;

determining whether the frame is traveling from the virtual port group to the same virtual port group; and

preventing the frame from being forwarded upon a determination that the frame is not traveling to 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 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 virtual port grouping information from a virtual machine administrator.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the switch belongs to a network of interconnected switches;

wherein the member switches are associated with a fabric identifier identifying the network of interconnected switches; and

wherein the network of interconnected switches is controlled as a single logical switch.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising encapsulating the received frames with encapsulation headers.

19. A switch means, comprising:

a port means for coupling to a server hosting a number of virtual machines;

a virtual port grouping means for:

identify a virtual port group for a frame based on the information in the storage device, wherein a respective virtual port group indicates a group of virtual media access control (MAC) addresses associated with corresponding virtual ports of virtual machines;

determining whether the frame is traveling from the virtual port group to the same virtual port group; and

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