Granted Patent B1

US 7,126,923 · App. 10/172,487 · Granted Oct 24, 2006

Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. A method comprising:

receiving messages from at least two inter-domain switches, wherein each switch is a member of at least one virtual local area network and a plurality of physical loop free network topology domains;

abstracting a logical domain, wherein the logical domain comprises the inter-domain switches and at least one logical link that connects the inter-domain switches, each logical link representing one of the plurality of physical loop free network topology domains; and

eliminating loops formed by the logical links in the logical domain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein eliminating loops formed by the logical links in the logical domain comprises running a Spanning Tree Protocol on the logical domain.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein abstracting the logical domain further comprises mapping a logical port of the logical domain to a physical port associated with the same inter-domain switch and the same loop-free network topology domain.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein mapping a logical port of the logical domain to a physical port comprises mapping a logical port of the logical domain to a physical port based on the forwarding path from the inter-domain switch that the logical port belongs to another connecting inter-domain switch.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein eliminating loops formed by the logical links in the logical domain comprises blocking one or more logical ports.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein abstracting the logical domain further comprises flooding messages through the physical loop-free network topology domains to determine the logical ports to be blocked.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising blocking the physical ports that are mapped to the blocked logical ports.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein eliminating loops formed by the logical links in the logical domain further comprises determining which logical link to block based on a predetermined criteria when more than one logical link may be blocked to break a loop.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each loop-free network topology domain is assigned an identification number and determining which logical link to block based on a predetermined criteria comprises determining which logical link to block based on which loop-free network topology domain has the higher identification number.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical loop free network topology domains are maintained loop free in accordance with a Spanning Tree Protocol.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical loop free network topology domains are maintained loop free in accordance with an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching Protocol.

12. A network comprising:

a plurality of physical loop free network topology domains;

inter-domain switches, wherein each inter-domain switch is a member of at least two of the plurality of physical loop free network topology domains; and

a logical domain abstracted from the inter-domain switches and logical links connecting the inter-domain switches, wherein each logical link represents one of the plurality of physical loop free network topology domains.

13. The network of claim 12 , wherein the logical domain is a loop free domain achieved in accordance with a Spanning Tree Protocol.

14. The network of claim 12 , wherein the inter-domain switches include at least one physical port and the logical domain includes at least one logical port, wherein each logical port is mapped to a physical port associated with the same loop-free network topology domain.

15. The network of claim 12 , wherein the physical loop free network topology domains are maintained loop free in accordance with a Spanning Tree Protocol.

16. The network of claim 12 , wherein the physical loop free network topology domains are maintained loop free in accordance with an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching Protocol.

17. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to:

receive messages from at least two inter-domain switches, wherein each switch is a member of at least one virtual local area network and a plurality of physical loop free network topology domains;

abstract a logical domain, wherein the logical domain comprises the inter-domain switches and at least one logical link that connects the inter-domain switches, each logical link representing one of the plurality of physical loop free network topology domains; and

eliminate loops formed by the logical links in the logical domain.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to eliminate loops formed by the logical links in the logical domain comprises a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to run a Spanning Tree Protocol on the logical domain.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to abstract a logical domain further comprises a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to map a logical port of the logical domain to a physical port associated with the same inter-domain switch and the same loop free network topology domain.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to eliminate loops formed by the logical links in the logical domain comprises a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to block one or more logical ports.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 , further comprising a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to block the physical ports that are mapped to the blocked logical ports.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the physical loop free network topology domains are maintained loop free in accordance with a Spanning Tree Protocol.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the physical loop free network topology domains are maintained loop free in accordance with an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching Protocol.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (1)