Dynamic link aggregation

1. A method for dynamic aggregation of links applied to a first device that has first and second Ethernet interfaces, the method comprising:

establishing first and second Ethernet sub-interfaces on the first Ethernet interface of the first device and first and second Ethernet sub-interfaces on the second Ethernet interface of the first device;

assigning the first Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and the first Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface to a same first Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) and assign the second Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and the second Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface to a same second VLAN, such that the Ethernet sub-interfaces on the same Ethernet interface are assigned to different VLANs;

adding an Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and an Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface which belong to the same VLAN into a link-aggregation group to establish an aggregated link with a second device; and

for each of the Ethernet sub-interfaces added into the link-aggregation group:

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is in an UP state which is a usable state, setting the Ethernet sub-interface to an INACTIVE state,

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is in the INACTIVE state and a heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device has been received through the Ethernet sub-interface for a predetermined number of successive times, setting the Ethernet sub-interface to an ACTIVE state, and

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is not in the UP state, setting the Ethernet sub-interface to a DOWN state which is an unusable state.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

after the Ethernet sub-interface is set to the INACTIVE state, transmitting the heartbeat packet to the second device through the Ethernet sub-interface at each pre-determined time interval, and determining at each pre-determined time interval whether the heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device is received through the Ethernet sub-interface within the current time interval.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

for each Ethernet sub-interface added into the link-aggregation group, when the Ethernet sub-interface is in the ACTIVE state, if the heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device has not been received through the Ethernet sub-interface for N successive times, setting the state of the Ethernet sub-interface as the INACTIVE state, and otherwise keeping the state of the Ethernet sub-interface as the ACTIVE state.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heartbeat packet is a Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) packet.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

when transmitting a data packet to the second device, dependent on relevant information in a packet header of the data packet and using a pre-determined aggregation algorithm, selecting an Ethernet sub-interface from the Ethernet sub-interfaces in the ACTIVE state in the link-aggregation group, to transmit the data packet.

6. A device for dynamic link aggregation that has first and second Ethernet interfaces, comprising: a processor and a non-transitory storage medium coupled to the processor, wherein the non-transitory storage medium stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, when the instructions are executed, the processor is to:

establish first and second Ethernet sub-interfaces on the first Ethernet interface of the device and first and second Ethernet sub-interfaces on the second Ethernet interface of the device;

assign the first Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and the first Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface to a same first Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) and assign the second Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and the second Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface to a same second VLAN, such that the Ethernet sub-interfaces on the same Ethernet interface are assigned to different VLANs;

add an Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and an Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface which belong to the same VLAN into a link-aggregation group to establish an aggregated link with a second device; and

for each Ethernet sub-interface added into the link-aggregation group:

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is in an UP state which is a usable state, set the Ethernet sub-interface to an INACTIVE state,

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is in the INACTIVE state and a heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device has been received through the Ethernet sub-interface for N successive times, set the Ethernet sub-interface to an ACTIVE state, wherein N is a pre-determined value, and

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is not in the UP state, set the Ethernet sub-interface to an DOWN state which is an unusable state.

7. The device of claim 6 ,

wherein after the Ethernet sub-interface is set to the INACTIVE state, the processor is to transmit the heartbeat packet to the second device through the Ethernet sub-interface at each pre-determined time interval, and determine at each pre-determined time interval whether the heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device has been received through the Ethernet sub-interface within the current time interval.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein when the instructions are executed, the processor is further to:

when an Ethernet sub-interface is in the ACTIVE state, if the heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device has not been received through the Ethernet sub-interface for N successive times, set the state of the Ethernet sub-interface as the INACTIVE state, and otherwise keep the state of the Ethernet sub-interface as the ACTIVE state.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the heartbeat packet is a Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) packet.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein when the instructions are executed, the processor is further to:

when transmitting a data packet to the second device, dependent on relevant information in a packet header of the data packet and using a pre-determined aggregation algorithm, select an Ethernet sub-interface from the Ethernet sub-interfaces in the ACTIVE state in the link-aggregation group, to transmit the data packet.

11. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions for execution by a first device that has first and second Ethernet interfaces, wherein the instructions, when executed by the first device, cause the first device to:

establish first and second Ethernet sub-interfaces on the first Ethernet interface of the device and first and second Ethernet sub-interfaces on the second Ethernet interface of the device,

assign the first Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and the first Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface to a same first Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) and assign the second Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and the second Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface to a same second VLAN, such that the Ethernet sub-interfaces on the same Ethernet interface are assigned to different VLANs,

adding an Ethernet sub-interface of the first Ethernet interface and an Ethernet sub-interface of the second Ethernet interface which belong to the same VLAN into a link-aggregation group to establish an aggregated link with a second device, and

for each Ethernet sub-interface added into the link-aggregation group:

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is in an UP state which is a usable state, set the Ethernet sub-interface to an INACTIVE state,

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is in the INACTIVE state and a heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device has been received through the Ethernet sub-interface for N successive times, set the Ethernet sub-interface to an ACTIVE state, wherein N is a pre-determined value, and

in response to a determination that the Ethernet sub-interface is not in the UP state, set the Ethernet sub-interface to an DOWN state which is an unusable state.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 ,

wherein after the Ethernet sub-interface is set to the INACTIVE state, the instructions cause the first device to transmit the heartbeat packet to the second device through the Ethernet sub-interface at each pre-determined time interval, and determine at each pre-determined time interval whether the heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device is received through the Ethernet sub-interface within the current time interval.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 12 ,

wherein, for each Ethernet sub-interface added into the link-aggregation group, when the Ethernet sub-interface is in the ACTIVE state, if the heartbeat packet transmitted by the second device has not been received through the Ethernet sub-interface for N successive times, the first device is to set the state of the Ethernet sub-interface as the INACTIVE state, and otherwise keep the state of the Ethernet sub-interface as the ACTIVE state.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the heartbeat packet is a Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) packet.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 12 ,

wherein, when transmitting a data packet to the second device, dependent on relevant information in a packet header of the data packet and using a pre-determined aggregation algorithm, the first device is to select an Ethernet sub-interface from the Ethernet sub-interfaces in the ACTIVE state in the link-aggregation group, to transmit the data packet.