Virtual link aggregations across multiple fabric switches
View Patent ↗One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch is configurable to be a member of a first fabric switch. The switch includes a link aggregation module. During operation, the link aggregation module marks an ingress-switch field of a frame with a virtual switch identifier. This virtual switch identifier is associated with the switch and a second switch, which is a member of a second fabric switch, and is from a range of identifier associated with the first fabric switch and the second fabric switch. Each of the first fabric switch and the second fabric switch is operable to accommodate a plurality of switches and operate as a single switch.
1. A switch, comprising:
fabric circuitry configured to maintain a membership in a first network of interconnected switches, wherein the first network of interconnected switches is identified by a first fabric identifier; and
aggregation circuitry configured to:
identify a virtual link aggregation group comprising a second switch and a third switch in the first network of interconnected switches, wherein a second network of interconnected switches is reachable via the virtual link aggregation group, and wherein the second network of interconnected switches is identified by a second fabric identifier; and
maintain a mapping between the second and third switches and the virtual link aggregation group; and
forwarding circuitry configured to select, for a packet destined to the second network of interconnected switches, an egress switch between the second and third switches based on the mapping.
2. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the virtual link aggregation group further comprises a first trunked link of the second switch and a second trunked link of the third switch.
3. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the egress switch is selected based on an arbitration policy of the first network of interconnected switches, wherein the arbitration policy is based on one or more of: load balancing, quality of service, security, network availability, and computing resources.
4. The switch of claim 2 , wherein the arbitration policy is based on a hash function.
5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding circuitry is further configured to select a port via which the egress switch is reachable for the packet destined to the second network of interconnected switches.
6. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding circuitry is configured to select the egress switch such that packets are distributed between the second and third switches.
7. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding circuitry is further configured to obtain an inner frame by decapsulating an encapsulation header of an encapsulated packet.
8. A method, comprising:
maintaining, for a switch, a membership in a first network of interconnected switches, wherein the first network of interconnected switches is identified by a first fabric identifier;
identifying a virtual link aggregation group comprising a second switch and a third switch in the first network of interconnected switches, wherein a second network of interconnected switches is reachable via the virtual link aggregation group, and wherein the second network of interconnected switches is identified by a second fabric identifier;
maintaining a mapping between the second and third switches and the virtual link aggregation group; and
selecting, for a packet destined to the second network of interconnected switches, an egress switch between the second and third switches based on the mapping.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the virtual link aggregation group further comprises a first trunked link of the second switch and a second trunked link of the third switch.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the egress switch is selected based on an arbitration policy of the first network of interconnected switches, wherein the arbitration policy is based on one or more of: load balancing, quality of service, security, network availability, and computing resources.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the arbitration policy is based on a hash function.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising selecting a port via which the egress switch is reachable for the packet destined to the second network of interconnected switches.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising selecting the egress switch such that packets are distributed between the second and third switches.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising obtaining an inner frame by decapsulating an encapsulation header of an encapsulated packet.
15. A computer system; comprising:
a processor;
a storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
maintaining a membership in a first network of interconnected switches, wherein the first network of interconnected switches is identified by a first fabric identifier;
identifying a virtual link aggregation group comprising a second computer system and a third computer system in the first network of interconnected switches, wherein a second network of interconnected switches is reachable via the virtual link aggregation group, and wherein the second network of interconnected switches is identified by a second fabric identifier;
maintaining a mapping between the second and third computer systems and the virtual link aggregation group; and
selecting, for a packet destined to the second network of interconnected switches, an egress system between the second and third computer systems based on the mapping.
16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the virtual link aggregation group further comprises a first trunked link of the second computer system and a second trunked link of the third computer system.
17. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the egress system is selected based on an arbitration policy of the first network of interconnected switches, and wherein the arbitration policy is based on a hash function.
18. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises selecting a port via which the egress system is reachable for the packet destined to the second network of interconnected switches.
19. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the egress switch such that packets are distributed between the second and third computer systems.
20. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining an inner frame by decapsulating an encapsulation header of an encapsulated packet.