IP Library Granted Patent US 11,165,650
Granted Patent B1
US 11,165,650 · App. 16/946,909 · Granted Nov 2, 2021

Multi-fabric VLAN configuration system

Inventors: Balaji Rajagopalan (Sunnyvale, CA); Joseph LaSalle White (San Jose, CA); Pawan Kumar Singal (Milpitas, CA)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L41/0886H04L12/44H04L41/0806H04L41/12H04L49/102
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,165,650
App. No.
16/946,909
Granted
Nov 2, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A multi-fabric VLAN configuration system includes a first fabric with server devices that are configured to communicate using VLANs, a primary I/O module coupled to the server devices, and a first fabric management system coupled to the server devices and the primary I/O module. The first fabric management system identifies VLAN information associated with the VLANs, automatically configures the primary I/O module using the VLAN information, and causes the VLAN information to be transmitted by the primary I/O module. A second fabric in the multi-fabric VLAN configuration system includes a leaf switch device that is coupled to the primary I/O module and that receives the VLAN information, and a second fabric management system that is coupled to the leaf switch device and that receives the VLAN information from the leaf switch device, and automatically configures the leaf switch device using the VLAN information.

Claims (51)

1. A multi-fabric Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) configuration system, comprising:

a first fabric including:

a plurality of server devices that are configured to communicate using a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs);

a primary Input/Output (I/O) module that is coupled to the plurality of server devices; and

a first fabric management system that is coupled to the plurality of server devices and the primary I/O module, wherein the first fabric management system is configured to:

identify VLAN information associated with the plurality of VLANs;

automatically configure a plurality of primary I/O module downlink ports on the primary I/O module using the VLAN information; and

cause the VLAN information to be transmitted via a plurality of primary I/O module uplink ports on the primary I/O module; and

a second fabric including:

a leaf switch device that is coupled to the primary I/O module via the plurality of primary I/O module uplink ports and that is configured to receive the VLAN information; and

a second fabric management system that is coupled to the leaf switch device, wherein the second fabric management system is configured to:

receive, from the leaf switch device, the VLAN information; and

automatically configure a plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports on the leaf switch device using the VLAN information.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of secondary Input/Output (I/O) modules that couple to the plurality of server devices to the primary I/O module.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of secondary I/O modules do not include operating systems.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the VLAN information to be transmitted via the plurality of primary I/O module uplink ports on the primary I/O module includes:

causing the VLAN information to be transmitted by the primary I/O module to the leaf switch device via Link Layer Discovery Packet (LLDP) communications.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second fabric management system is configured to:

receive the VLAN information from the leaf switch device in a bitmap data structure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the automatically configuring the plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports on the leaf switch device using the VLAN information including providing a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VxLAN) configuration on the plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an Internet device that is included in the second fabric and that is coupled to the leaf switch device via a plurality of leaf switch device uplink ports on the leaf switch device, wherein the second fabric management system is configured to:

automatically configure the plurality of leaf switch device uplink ports using the VLAN information.

8. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a processing system; and

a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a fabric management engine that is configured to:

receive, from a leaf switch device in a first fabric that is coupled to a primary Input/Output (I/O) module in a second fabric, Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) information associated with a plurality of VLANs that are utilized by a plurality of server devices coupled to the primary I/O module; and

automatically configure a plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports on the leaf switch device using the VLAN information.

9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of server devices are coupled to the primary I/O module by a plurality of secondary Input/Output (I/O) modules.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of secondary I/O modules do not include operating systems.

11. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the receiving the VLAN information includes:

receiving the VLAN information from the leaf switch device in a bitmap data structure.

12. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the automatically configuring the plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports on the leaf switch device using the VLAN information includes automatically providing a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VxLAN) configuration on the plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports.

13. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the fabric management engine is configured to:

automatically configure, using the VLAN information, a plurality of leaf switch device uplink ports on the leaf switch device that are coupled to an Internet device.

14. A method for configuring Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) in multiple fabrics, comprising:

receiving, by a first fabric management system from a leaf switch device in a first fabric that is coupled to a primary Input/Output (I/O) module in a second fabric, Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) information associated with a plurality of VLANs that are utilized by a plurality of server devices coupled to the primary I/O module; and

automatically configuring, by the first fabric management system, a plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports on the leaf switch device using the VLAN information.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the receiving the VLAN information includes:

receiving the VLAN information from the leaf switch device in a bitmap data structure.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the automatically configuring the plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports on the leaf switch device using the VLAN information includes automatically providing a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VxLAN) configuration on the plurality of leaf switch device downlink ports.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

automatically configuring, by the first fabric management system using the VLAN information, a plurality of leaf switch device uplink ports on the leaf switch device that are coupled to an Internet device.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

Identifying, by a second fabric management system in the second fabric, the VLAN information;

automatically configuring, by the second fabric management system, a plurality of primary I/O module downlink ports on the primary I/O module using the VLAN information; and

causing, by the second fabric management system, the VLAN information to be transmitted via a plurality of primary I/O module uplink ports on the primary I/O module to the leaf switch device.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the causing the VLAN information to be transmitted via the plurality of primary I/O module uplink ports on the primary I/O module includes:

causing the VLAN information to be transmitted by the primary I/O module to the leaf switch device via Link Layer Discovery Packet (LLDP) communications.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein a plurality of secondary Input/Output (I/O) modules couple to the plurality of server devices to the primary I/O module, and wherein the plurality of secondary I/O modules do not include operating systems.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053573/0535) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0106 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053574/0221) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053578/0183) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060332/0864 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 053531 FRAME 0108 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0371 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2021
From: RAJAGOPALAN, BALAJI; WHITE, JOSEPH LASALLE; SINGAL, PAWAN KUMAR
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 056240/0864 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053578/0183 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053574/0221 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053573/0535 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 18, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 053531/0108 →