IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,700,890
Granted Patent B1
US 10,700,890 · App. 16/290,556 · Granted Jun 30, 2020

Spanning tree protocol port-based link selection system

Inventors: Vigneshwar Kalyanaraman (Tamil Nadu, IN); Aravind Prasad Sridharan (Tamil Nadu, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L12/44H04L41/0886H04L41/12H04L45/08H04L45/245H04L49/3027
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,700,890
App. No.
16/290,556
Filed
Mar 1, 2019
Granted
Jun 30, 2020
Kind
B1
Examiner
SOE, KYAW Z
Art Unit
2412
USPC
370/256
Abstract

An STP link selection system includes a designated switch device that receives a first communication that indicates that a first link provided to a non-designated switch device from a first port is available and, in response, automatically assigns the first port with a primary port priority. The designated switch device then subsequently receives a second communication that indicates that a second link provided to the non-designated switch device via a second port is available and, in response, the second port is automatically assigned with a secondary port priority. The designated switch device identifies a first port identifier that is based on the primary port priority to the non-designated switch device and, based on the first port identifier relative to a second port identifier that is based on the secondary port priority, the non-root switch device transmits communications via the first link and blocks communications via the second link.

Claims (61)

1. A Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) link selection system, comprising:

a non-designated switch device; and

a designated switch device that includes a plurality of ports that are each connected to the non-designated switch device, wherein the designated switch device is configured to:

receive, from a first port that is included in the plurality of ports, a first communication that indicates that a first link provided to the non-designated switch device via the first port is available;

automatically assign, in response to receiving the first communication, the first port with a primary port priority;

receive, from a second port that is included in the plurality of ports and subsequent to receiving the first communication from the first port, a second communication that indicates that a second link provided to the non-designated switch device via the second port is available, wherein the second port is automatically assigned a secondary port priority that is different than the primary port priority;

identify, to the non-designated switch device, a first port identifier that is based on the primary port priority assigned to the first port, wherein the non-designated switch device is configured to:

transmit, based on the first identifier relative to a second port identifier that is based on the secondary port priority assigned to the second port, communications via the first link provided by the first port; and

block, based on the second port identifier relative to the first port identifier, communications via the second link provided by the second port.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the designated switch device includes:

a queue that is associated with the non-designated switch device, wherein the automatically assigning the first port with the primary port priority includes automatically adding the first port to the queue and automatically associating the first port with the primary port priority in the queue in response to receiving the first communication, and wherein the automatically assigning the second port with the secondary port priority includes automatically adding the second port to the queue and automatically associating the second port with the secondary port priority in the queue in response to receiving the second communication.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the designated switch device is configured to:

determine that the first link provided by the first port is unavailable and, in response:

automatically unassign the primary port priority from the first port;

automatically unassign the secondary port priority from the second port; and

automatically assign the second port the primary port priority.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the designated switch device is configured to:

automatically associate, in response to receiving the first communication, the first port with a primary position in a link identification order; and

automatically associate, in response to receiving the second communication, the second port with a secondary position in the link identification order that is different than the primary position, wherein the automatic unassigning of the secondary port priority from the second port and the automatic assigning of the primary port priority to the second port is performed based on the secondary position of the second port in the link identification order.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the designated switch device is configured to:

receive, from a third port that is included in the plurality of ports and subsequent to receiving the first communication from the first port, a third communication that indicates that a third link provided to the non-designated switch device via the third port is available, wherein the third port is automatically assigned a tertiary port priority that is different than the primary port priority, and wherein the non-designated switch device is configured to:

block, based on a third port identifier that is based on the tertiary port priority assigned to the third port relative to the first port identifier, communications via the third link provided by the third port.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary port priority is a default STP port priority value, and wherein the primary port priority is an STP port priority value that is less than the default STP port priority value.

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 Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) link selection engine that is configured to:

receive, from a first port, a first communication that indicates that a first link provided to a non-designated switch device via the first port is available;

automatically assign, in response to receiving the first communication, the first port with a primary port priority;

receive, from a second port and subsequent to receiving the first communication from the first port, a second communication that indicates that a second link provided to the non-designated switch device via the second port is available wherein the second port is automatically assigned a secondary port priority that is different than the primary port priority;

identify, to the non-designated switch device, a first port identifier that is based on the primary port priority assigned to the first port in order to cause the non-designated switch device to transmit communications via the first link provided by the first port based on the first port identifier relative to a second port identifier that is based on the secondary port priority assigned to the second port, and block communications via the second link provided by the second port based on the second port identifier relative to the first port identifier.

8. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the automatically assigning the first port with the primary port priority includes automatically adding the first port to a queue and automatically associating the first port with the primary port priority in the queue in response to receiving the first communication, and wherein the automatically assigning the second port with the secondary port priority includes automatically adding the second port to the queue and automatically associating the second port with the secondary port priority in the queue in response to receiving the second communication.

9. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the STP link selection engine is configured to:

determine that the first link provided by the first port is unavailable and, in response:

automatically unassign the primary port priority from the first port;

automatically unassign the secondary port priority from the second port; and

automatically assign the second port the primary port priority.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the STP link selection engine is configured to:

automatically associate, in response to receiving the first communication, the first port with a primary position in a link identification order; and

automatically associate, in response to receiving the second communication, the second port with a secondary position in the link identification order that is different than the primary position, wherein the automatic unassigning of the secondary port priority from the second port and the automatic assigning of the primary port priority to the second port is performed based on the secondary position of the second port in the link identification order.

11. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the STP link selection engine is configured to:

receive, from a third port and subsequent to receiving the first communication from the first port, a third communication that indicates that a third link provided to the non-designated switch device via the third port is available, wherein the third port is automatically assigned tertiary port priority that is different than the primary port priority and that causes the non-designated switch device to block communications via the third link provided by the third port based on a third port identifier that is based on the tertiary port priority assigned to the third port relative to the first port identifier.

12. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the secondary port priority is a default STP port priority value, and wherein the primary port priority is an STP port priority value that is less than the default STP port priority value.

13. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the first port is associated with a first port identifier value, and wherein the second port is associated with a second port identifier value that is less than the first port identifier value.

14. A method for selecting Spanning Tree Protocol links, comprising:

receiving, by a designated switch device from a first port on the designated switch device, a first communication that indicates that a first link provided to a non-designated switch device via the first port is available;

automatically assigning, by the designated switch device in response to receiving the first communication, the first port with a primary port priority;

receiving, by the designated switch device from a second port and subsequent to receiving the first communication from the first port, a second communication that indicates that a second link provided to the non-designated switch device via the second port is available, wherein the second port is automatically assigned a secondary port priority that is different than the primary port priority;

identify, by the designated switch device to the non-designated switch device, a first port identifier that is based on the primary port priority assigned to the first port in order to cause the non-designated switch device to transmit communications via the first link provided by the first port based on the first port identifier relative to a second port identifier that is based on the secondary port priority assigned to the second port, and block communications via the second link provided by the second port based on the second port identifier relative to the first port identifier.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the automatically assigning the first port with the primary port priority includes automatically adding the first port to a queue and automatically associating the first port with the primary port priority in the queue in response to receiving the first communication, and wherein the automatically assigning the second port with the secondary port priority includes automatically adding the second port to the queue and automatically associating the second port with the secondary port priority in the queue in response to receiving the second communication.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining, by the designated switch device that the first link provided by the first port is unavailable and, in response:

automatically unassign the primary port priority from the first port;

automatically unassign the secondary port priority from the second port; and

automatically assign the second port the primary port priority.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

automatically associating, by the designated switch device in response to receiving the first communication, the first port with a primary position in a link identification order; and

automatically associating, by the designated switch device in response to receiving the second communication, the second port with a secondary position in the link identification order that is different than the primary position, wherein the automatic unassigning of the secondary port priority from the second port and the automatic assigning of the primary port priority to the second port is performed based on the secondary position of the second port in the link identification order.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by the designated switch device from a third port and subsequent to receiving the first communication from the first port, a third communication that indicates that a third link provided to the non-designated switch device via the third port is available, wherein the third port is automatically assigned a tertiary port priority that is different than the primary port priority and that causes the non-designated switch device to block communications via the third link provided by the third port based on a third port identifier that is based on the tertiary port priority assigned to the third port relative to the first port identifier.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the secondary port priority is a default STP port priority value, and wherein the primary port priority is an STP port priority value that is less than the default STP port priority value.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first port is associated with a first port identifier value, and wherein the second port is associated with a second port identifier value that is less than the first port identifier value.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (050724/0466) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 060753/0486 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 050405 FRAME 0534 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058001/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Oct 15, 2019
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050724/0466 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 050405/0534 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2019
From: KALYANARAMAN, VIGNESHWAR; SRIDHARAN, ARAVIND PRASAD
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 048484/0114 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,336,031