Global VLAN services

1. A switch in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the switch comprises:

a storage device;

forwarding domain circuitry configured to maintain a mapping that maps a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and an internal virtual identifier to a first global VLAN identifier in the storage device, wherein the global VLAN identifier represents a layer-2 forwarding domain in the network of interconnected switches and is distinct from a customer VLAN or a service-provider VLAN, and wherein the internal virtual identifier is local and internal to the switch, and not included in a packet; and

forwarding circuitry configured to:

encapsulate a first packet belonging to the first VLAN in a network encapsulation header, wherein the encapsulated packet is forwardable in the network of interconnected switches based on the network encapsulation header; and

include the first global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header encapsulating the first packet, wherein a set of bits representing the global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header indicates a single value.

2. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the mapping further maps the internal identifier to an egress port associated with the first global VLAN identifier; and

wherein the internal identifier is distinct from a VLAN identifier.

3. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the internal identifier and the first global VLAN identifier are specified in a port profile comprising a media access control (MAC) address, wherein the port profile represents a set of configurations for a port; and

wherein the forwarding domain circuitry is further configured to, in response to identifying the MAC address as a source address in a packet, apply the port profile to a local ingress port of the packet.

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the set of bits representing the global VLAN identifier includes a first subset of bits in a first header field and a second subset of bits in a second header field in the network encapsulation header in a continuous representation indicating the single value.

5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding domain circuitry is further configured to maintain a second mapping between a second VLAN identifier and the first global VLAN identifier, wherein the first and second VLAN identifiers are associated with a same service level for a tenant.

6. The switch of claim 5 , wherein the forwarding circuitry is further configured to include the first global VLAN identifier in a second network encapsulation header encapsulating a second packet in response to identifying the second VLAN identifier in the second packet.

7. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding circuitry is further configured to determine a port of the switch as a network extension interface for a second packet, wherein the network extension interface is an egress port associated with a second network of interconnected switches, and wherein the second packet includes a tag representing the first global VLAN identifier.

8. The switch of claim 7 , further comprising tunnel management circuitry configured to encapsulate the second packet in a tunnel encapsulation header, wherein the network extension interface is a tunnel interface, and wherein the tunnel encapsulation header is distinct from the network encapsulation header.

9. The switch of claim 1 , further comprising spanning tree circuitry configured to:

identify a spanning tree instance associated with the first VLAN identifier; and

associate the spanning tree instance with the first global VLAN identifier.

10. The switch of claim 9 , wherein the spanning tree circuitry is further configured to associate the spanning tree instance with a local port in response to identifying the local port as being configured with the first global VLAN identifier.

11. A computer-executable method, comprising:

maintaining a mapping that maps a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and an internal virtual identifier to a first global VLAN identifier in a storage device of a switch in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the global VLAN identifier represents a layer-2 forwarding domain in the network of interconnected switches and is distinct from a customer VLAN or a service-provider VLAN, and wherein the internal virtual identifier is local and internal to the switch, and not included in a packet;

encapsulating a first packet belonging to the first VLAN in a network encapsulation header, wherein the encapsulated packet is forwardable in the network of interconnected switches based on the network encapsulation header; and

including the first global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header encapsulating the first packet, wherein a set of bits representing the global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header indicates a single value.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mapping further maps the internal identifier to an egress port associated with the first global VLAN identifier; and

wherein the internal identifier is distinct from a VLAN identifier.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the internal identifier and the first global VLAN identifier are specified in a port profile comprising a media access control (MAC) address, wherein the port profile represents a set of configurations for a port; and

wherein the method further comprises, in response to identifying the MAC address as a source address in a packet, applying the port profile to a local ingress port of the packet.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the set of bits representing the global VLAN identifier includes a first subset of bits in a first header field and a second subset of bits in a second header field in the network encapsulation header in a continuous representation indicating the single value.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising maintaining a second mapping between a second VLAN identifier and the first global VLAN identifier, wherein the first and second VLAN identifiers are associated with a same service level for a tenant.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising including the first global VLAN identifier in a second network encapsulation header encapsulating a second packet in response to identifying the second VLAN identifier in the second packet.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining a port of the switch as a network extension interface for a second packet, wherein the network extension interface is an egress port associated with a second network of interconnected switches, and wherein the second packet includes a tag representing the first global VLAN identifier.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising encapsulating the second packet in a tunnel encapsulation header, wherein the network extension interface is a tunnel interface, and wherein the tunnel encapsulation header is distinct from the network encapsulation header.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

identifying a spanning tree instance associated with the first VLAN identifier; and

associating the spanning tree instance with the first global VLAN identifier.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising associating the spanning tree instance with a local port in response to identifying the local port as being configured with the first global VLAN identifier.

21. A computing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising:

maintaining a mapping that maps a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and an internal virtual identifier to a first global VLAN identifier in a storage device of a switch in a network of interconnected switches, wherein the global VLAN identifier represents a layer-2 forwarding domain in the network of interconnected switches and is distinct from a customer VLAN or a service-provider VLAN, and wherein the internal virtual identifier is local and internal to the switch, and not included in a packet;

encapsulating a first packet belonging to the first VLAN in a network encapsulation header, wherein the encapsulated packet is forwardable in the network of interconnected switches based on the encapsulation header; and

including the first global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header encapsulating the first packet, wherein a set of bits representing the global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header indicates a single value.