Automatic multi-chassis link aggregation configuration with link layer discovery

1. A computer network comprising:

a first network switch;

a second network switch; and

a third network switch having a first switch port that is linked to a first switch port of the first network switch over a first wired connection, the third network switch further having a second switch port that is linked to a first switch port of the second network switch over a second wired connection,

wherein the first network switch is adapted to receive a link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) packet over the first wired connection, scan the LLDP packet for a network management type-length-value (TLV), and add the first switch port of the first network switch to a port channel aggregation that includes the first switch port of the second network switch in response to finding the network management TLV in the LLDP packet.

2. The computer network of claim 1 , further comprising:

a server computer having a first communication port and a second communication port,

wherein the first communication port of the server computer is linked to a second switch port of the first network switch by way of a third wired connection and the second communication port of the server computer is linked to a second switch port of the second network switch by way of a fourth wired connection.

3. The computer network of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second communication ports comprises a network interface card (NIC) port.

4. The computer network of claim 3 , wherein each of the third and fourth wired connections comprises a backplane connection.

5. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein the first wired connection comprises an Ethernet cable.

6. The computer network of claim 2 , wherein the first network switch is adapted to extract the network management TLV from the LLDP packet, and decode the network management TLV to identify a system identifier associated with the port channel aggregation.

7. The computer network of claim 6 , further comprising:

a network manager that is adapted to manage the first network switch and the second network switch,

wherein the first network switch is adapted to extract the network management TLV from the LLDP packet, and decode the network management TLV to identify an identifier of the network manager.

8. The computer network of claim 7 , wherein the first network switch and the second network switch are configured as peer network devices, with the first network switch being a primary switch and the second network switch being a secondary switch.

9. A computer-implemented method of automatically configuring a multi-chassis link aggregation in network switches, the method comprising:

receiving a link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) packet at a first switch port of a first network switch, the first switch port of the first network switch being connected to a first switch port of a second network switch;

determining, from contents of the LLDP packet, that the second network switch and the first network switch are managed by a same network manager; and

in response to determining that the first and second network switches are managed by the same network manager, adding the first switch port of the first network switch to a port channel aggregation.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein determining that the second network switch and the first network switch are managed by the same network manager comprises:

identifying a network management type-length-value (TLV) in the LLDP packet.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:

decoding the network management TLV to identify a system identifier of the first network switch.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:

decoding the network management TLV to identify an identifier of the network manager that manages the first and second network switches.

13. A network switch comprising:

a first switch port;

a processor; and

a memory that is configured to store instructions that when executed by the processor cause the network switch to:

receive a link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) packet at the first switch port;

determine, from contents of the LLDP packet, that the network switch and another network switch that sent the LLDP packet to the network switch are managed by a same network manager; and

add the first switch port to a port channel aggregation in response to determining that the network switch and the other network switch that sent the LLDP packet to the network switch are managed by the same network manager.

14. The network switch of claim 13 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, further cause the network switch to:

extract a network management type-length-value (TLV) from the LLDP packet.

15. The network switch of claim 14 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, further cause the network switch to:

decode the network management TLV to identify a system identifier of the network switch.

16. The network switch of claim 15 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, further cause the network switch to:

decode the network management TLV to identify an identifier of the network manager.