System and method for managing virtual link state

1. A method of managing a virtual link in a first device, the method comprising:

receiving a first status update associated with the virtual link from a second device, the first status update including a first management status value and a first operational status value;

determining a second management status value associated with the first device;

determining a second operational status value based on information associated with the first status update and the second management status value;

transmitting a second status update for the virtual link to the second device, the second status update including the second management status value and the second operational status value; and

determining a state of the virtual link based on information associated with the first management status value, the first operational status value, the second management status value, and the second operational status value;

wherein:

the first management status value indicates a first desired state of the virtual link from a perspective of the second device;

the second management status value indicates a second desired state of the virtual link from a perspective of the first device;

the first operational status value indicates a first perceived state of the virtual link from the perspective of the second device;

the second operational status value indicates a second perceived state of the virtual link from the perspective of the first device;

the first device is configured to be coupled to the second device using a physical network link;

the physical network link is configured to be partitioned into a plurality of first virtual links; and

the plurality of first virtual links includes the virtual link.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying an application or a driver in the first device of the state of the virtual link.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the second management status value associated with the first device comprises receiving the second management status value from an application or a driver in the first device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the second operational status value comprises logically combining the first management status value and the second management status value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first management status value is selected from a group consisting of up and down;

the first operational status value is selected from a group consisting of up and down;

the second management status value is selected from a group consisting of up and down;

the second operational status value is selected from a group consisting of up and down; and

the state of the virtual link is selected from a group consisting of up and down.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the second operational status value comprises setting the second operational status value to up when the first management status value is up and the second management status value is up.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the state of the virtual link comprises setting the state of the virtual link to up when the first management status value is up, the first operational status value is up, the second management status value is up, and the second operational status value is up.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

encoding up using a logical 1; and

encoding down using a logical 0.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first status update associated with the virtual link from the second device comprises:

receiving a virtual link status packet from the second device; and

extracting the first management status value and the first operational status value from the virtual link status packet.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the virtual link status packet further includes third management status values and third operational status values associated with others of the plurality of first virtual links.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the virtual link status packet is included as a header, a field, or a type-length-value (TLV) field of a message associated with a network protocol.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the network protocol is selected from a group consisting of a S-Channel Discovery and Configuration Protocol (CDCP) and a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving the virtual link status packet periodically.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the second status update for the virtual link to the second device comprises:

assembling a virtual link status packet including the second management status value, the second operational status value, and third management status values and third operational status values associated with others of the plurality of first virtual links; and

transmitting the virtual link status packet to the second device.

15. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processers;

a first driver stored in the memory and being executed by the one or more processors; and

a network port configured to couple the computing device to a remote device using a physical network link, the physical network link being configured to be partitioned into a plurality of first virtual links including a second virtual link;

wherein the first driver is configured to:

receive a remote status update associated with the second virtual link from the remote device, the remote status update including a remote management status value and a remote operational status value;

receive a local management status value associated with the computing device;

determine a local operational status value based on information associated with the remote status update and the local management status value;

transmit a local status update for the second virtual link to the remote device, the local status update including the local management status value and the local operational status value; and

determine a state of the second virtual link based on information associated with the remote management status value, the remote operational status value, the local management status value, and the local operational status value;

wherein:

the remote management status value indicates a first desired state of the second virtual link from a perspective of the remote device;

the local management status value indicates a second desired state of the second virtual link from a perspective of the computing device;

the remote operational status value indicates a first perceived state of the second virtual link from the perspective of the remote device; and

the local operational status value indicates a second perceived state of the second virtual link from the perspective of the computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 15 wherein the first driver is further configured to notify an application or a second driver of the state of the second virtual link.

17. The computing device of claim 15 wherein the first driver is further configured to determine the local operational status value by setting the local operational status value to up when the remote management status value is up and the local management status value is up.

18. An information handling system comprising:

a first computing device comprising one or more first processors, a first memory coupled to the one or more first processers, a first driver stored in the first memory and being executed by the one or more first processors, and a first network port;

a second computing device comprising one or more second processors, a second memory coupled to the one or more second processers, a second driver stored in the second memory and being executed by the one or more second processors, and a second network port; and

a physical network link coupling the first network port and the second network port;

wherein:

the physical network link is configured to be partitioned into a plurality of first virtual links including a second virtual link;

the first driver is configured to transmit a first status update associated with the second virtual link, the first status update including a first management status value and a first operational status value; and

the second driver is configured to:

receive the first status update;

receive a second management status value associated with the second computing device;

determine a second operational status value based on information associated with the first status update and the second management status value;

transmit a second status update for the second virtual link to the first computing device, the second status update including the second management status value and the second operational status value;

determine a state of the second virtual link based on information associated with the first management status value, the first operational status value, the second management status value, and the second operational status value;

the first management status value indicates a first desired state of the second virtual link from a perspective of the first computing device;

the second management status value indicates a second desired state of the second virtual link from a perspective of the second computing device;

the first operational status value indicates a first perceived state of the second virtual link from the perspective of the first computing device; and

the second operational status value indicates a second perceived state of the second virtual link from the perspective of the second computing device.