IP Library Granted Patent US 11,412,077
Granted Patent B2
US 11,412,077 · App. 17/063,798 · Granted Aug 9, 2022

Multi-logical-port data traffic stream preservation system

Inventors: Dinesh Kumar Mani (Bangalore, IN); Amitabh Jawahar Abraham (Bangalore, IN); Shradha Ambani (Chennai, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L69/323H04L49/254H04L49/557H04L69/324
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,412,077
App. No.
17/063,798
Granted
Aug 9, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multi-logical port data traffic stream preservation system includes a networking device coupled to a computing device via its physical port, a first networking fabric via a first uplink, and a second networking fabric via a second uplink. The networking device receives communications from the computing device that identify first and second logical ports provided using the physical port on the computing device, a first data traffic type associated with the first networking fabric and transmitted on the first logical port, and a second data traffic type associated with the second networking fabric and transmitted on the second logical port. If the first uplink becomes unavailable, the networking device transmits a communication to the computing device that causes the computing device to stop transmitting the first data traffic type via the first logical port while continuing to transmit the second data traffic type via the second logical port.

Claims (44)

1. A multi-logical port data traffic stream preservation system, comprising:

a computing device including a physical port;

a first networking fabric;

a second networking fabric;

a networking device that is coupled to the computing device via the physical port, the first networking fabric via a first networking fabric communication link, and a second networking fabric via a second networking fabric communication link, wherein the networking device is configured to:

receive, from the computing device via the physical port, a first logical port identification communication that identifies a first logical port provided using the physical port on the computing device and a first data traffic type associated with the first networking fabric;

receive, from the computing device via the physical port, a second logical port identification communication that identifies a second logical port provided using the physical port on the computing device and a second data traffic type associated with the second networking fabric;

determine that the first networking fabric communication link has become unavailable; and

transmit, in response to determining that the first networking fabric communication link has become unavailable, a first logical port disable communication to the computing device that is configured to cause the computing device to stop transmitting first data traffic having the first data traffic type via the first logical port while continuing to transmit second data traffic having the second data traffic type via the second logical port.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first data traffic type is provided by one of an Ethernet data traffic type and a Fibre Channel-based data traffic type, and the second data traffic type is provided by the other of the Ethernet data traffic type and the Fibre Channel-based data traffic type.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logical port identification communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication that identifies the first logical port and the first data traffic type, and wherein the second logical port identification communication includes a second TLV data structure in a second LLDP PDU communication that identifies the second logical port and the second data traffic type.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first logical port identification communication includes a first options field that indicates an active status for the first logical port, and wherein the second logical port identification communication includes a second options field that indicates an active status for the second logical port.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logical port disable communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication with a first options field that indicates that the first logical port should be disabled.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the networking device is configured to:

determine that the first networking fabric communication link has become available; and

transmit, in response to determining that the first networking fabric communication link has become available, a first logical port enable communication to the computing device that is configured to cause the computing device to begin transmitting the first data traffic having the first data traffic type via the first logical port.

7. 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 networking engine that is configured to:

receive, from a computing device via a physical port on the computing device, a first logical port identification communication that identifies a first logical port provided using the physical port on the computing device and a first data traffic type associated with a first networking fabric that is accessible to the processing system via a first networking fabric communication link;

receive, from the computing device via the physical port on the computing device, a second logical port identification communication that identifies a second logical port provided using the physical port on the computing device and a second data traffic type associated with the second networking fabric that is accessible to the processing system via a second networking fabric communication link;

determine that the first networking fabric communication link has become unavailable; and

transmit, in response to determining that the first networking fabric communication link has become unavailable, a first logical port disable communication to the computing device that is configured to cause the computing device to stop transmitting first data traffic having the first data traffic type via the first logical port while continuing to transmit second data traffic having the second data traffic type via the second logical port.

8. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the first data traffic type is provided by one of an Ethernet data traffic type and a Fibre Channel-based data traffic type, and the second data traffic type is provided by the other of the Ethernet data traffic type and the Fibre Channel-based data traffic type.

9. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the first logical port identification communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication that identifies the first logical port and the first data traffic type, and wherein the second logical port identification communication includes a second TLV data structure in a second LLDP PDU communication that identifies the second logical port and the second data traffic.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the first logical port identification communication includes a first options field that indicates an active status for the first logical port, and wherein the second logical port identification communication includes a second options field that indicates an active status for the second logical port.

11. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the first logical port disable communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication with a first options field that indicates that the first logical port should be disabled.

12. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the networking engine is configured to:

determine that the first networking fabric communication link has become available; and

transmit, in response to determining that the first networking fabric communication link has become available, a first logical port enable communication to the computing device that is configured to cause the computing device to begin transmitting the first data traffic having the first data traffic type via the first logical port.

13. The IHS of claim 12 , wherein the first logical port enable communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication with a first options field that indicates that the first logical port should be enabled.

14. A method for preserving data traffic streams on at least one of a plurality of logical ports, comprising:

receiving, by a networking device from a computing device via a physical port on the computing device, a first logical port identification communication that identifies a first logical port provided using the physical port on the computing device and a first data traffic type associated with a first networking fabric that is accessible to the processing system via a first networking fabric communication link;

receiving, by the networking device from the computing device via the physical port on the computing device, a second logical port identification communication that identifies a second logical port provided using the physical port on the computing device and a second data traffic type associated with the second networking fabric that is accessible to the processing system via a second networking fabric communication link;

determining, by the networking device, that the first networking fabric communication link has become unavailable; and

transmitting, by the networking device in response to determining that the first networking fabric communication link has become unavailable, a first logical port disable communication to the computing device that is configured to cause the computing device to stop transmitting first data traffic having the first data traffic type via the first logical port while continuing to transmit second data traffic having the second data traffic type via the second logical port.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first data traffic type is provided by one of an Ethernet data traffic type and a Fibre Channel-based data traffic type, and the second data traffic type is provided by the other of the Ethernet data traffic type and the Fibre Channel-based data traffic type.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first logical port identification communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication that identifies the first logical port and the first data traffic type, and wherein the second logical port identification communication includes a second TLV data structure in a second LLDP PDU communication that identifies the second logical port and the second data traffic.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first logical port identification communication includes a first options field that indicates an active status for the first logical port, and wherein the second logical port identification communication includes a second options field that indicates an active status for the second logical port.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first logical port disable communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication with a first options field that indicates that the first logical port should be disabled.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining, by the networking device, that the first networking fabric communication link has become available; and

transmitting, by the networking device in response to determining that the first networking fabric communication link has become available, a first logical port enable communication to the computing device that is configured to cause the computing device to begin transmitting the first data traffic having the first data traffic type via the first logical port.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first logical port enable communication includes a first Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure in a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication with a first options field that indicates that the first logical port should be enabled.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (054475/0523) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 060332/0664 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (054475/0434) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 060332/0740 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (054475/0609) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0570 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 054591 FRAME 0471 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0463 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054475/0609 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054475/0434 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054475/0523 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 13, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 054591/0471 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2020
From: MANI, DINESH KUMAR; ABRAHAM, AMITABH JAWAHAR; AMBANI, SHRADHA
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 053982/0497 →