# US 11,115,316 B2 · Learning orphan ports in a multi-chassis link aggregation group > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,316 B2 - Document ID: US11115316B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/506,919 - Filed: 2019-07-09 - Published: 2021-01-14 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-09 - Assignees: Arista Networks, Inc. - Applicants: Arista Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Arun Punj - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115316B2 ## CPC - H04L 45/745: Address table lookup; Address filtering - H04L 45/245: {Link aggregation, e.g. trunking} - H04L 49/3027: {Output queuing} - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Forwarding of network data received in a switch includes identifying forwarding information from mapping tables stored in the switch. The mapping tables can be indexed using information in the received network data identify the forwarding information, including using at least an identifier of the ingress port of the switch on which the network data was received. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method in a switching device, the method comprising: receiving incoming network data on an ingress port of the switching device, wherein the incoming network data specifies a virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID); generating outgoing network data for transmission to a next hop, including: obtaining forwarding information from one or more mapping tables using the VLAN ID contained in the incoming network data and the ingress port as index keys into the one or more mapping tables to identify the forwarding information, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to first forwarding information that includes a first source address associated with the switching device when the ingress port is a first kind of port is a first kind of port, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to second forwarding information that includes a second source address associated with the switching device when the ingress port is a second kind of port; and combining the incoming network data with the forwarding information to generate the outgoing network data; and sending the outgoing network data to the next hop on an egress port of the switching device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first type kind of port is a multi-chassis link aggregation group (MLAG) port on the switching device and the second kind of port is an orphan port on the switching device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein for each next hop that the switching device can transmit data to, the one or more mapping tables include the first forwarding information to forward incoming network data received on the first kind of port to said each next hop and the second forwarding information to forward incoming network data received on the second kind of port to said each next hop. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to a first virtual forwarding interface (VFI) when the ingress port is the first kind of port, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to a second VFI when the ingress port is the second kind of port, wherein the first VFI maps to the first forwarding information, wherein the second VFI maps to the second forwarding information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the switching device operates as a first VXLAN endpoint (VTEP) device and the first source address associated with the switching device is an address of the first VTEP device when the ingress port on the switching device is a member of an MLAG, wherein the switching device operates as a second VTEP device and the second source address associated with the switching device is an address of the second VTEP device when the ingress port on the switching device is an orphan port. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the next hop is an uplink VTEP device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the switching device is configured in a VXLAN, and the outgoing network data is a VXLAN packet, wherein the first and second source addresses associated with the switching device and the destination address associated with the next hop are, respectively, an outer source Internet Protocol (IP) address and an outer destination IP address in the VXLAN packet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising encapsulating the incoming network data with a media access control (MAC) address of the ingress port of the switching device as a source MAC address in the outgoing network data and a MAC address of the next hop as a destination MAC address in the outgoing network data. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, which when executed by a computer device in a switching device, cause the computer device to: receive incoming network data on an ingress port of the switching device, wherein the incoming network data specifies a virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID); generate outgoing network data for transmission to a next hop, including: obtaining forwarding information from one or more mapping tables using the VLAN ID contained in the incoming network data and the ingress port as index keys into the one or more mapping tables to identify the forwarding information, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to first forwarding information that includes a first source address associated with the switching device when the ingress port is a first kind of port, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to second forwarding information that includes a second source address associated when the ingress port is second kind of port; information, where the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to first forwarding and combining the incoming network data with the forwarding information to generate the outgoing network data; and send the outgoing network data to the next hop on an egress port of the switching device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first kind of port is a multi-chassis link aggregation group (MLAG) port on the switching device and the second kind of port is an orphan port on the switching device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein for each next hop that the switching device can transmit data to, the one or more mapping tables include the first forwarding information used to forward incoming network data that is received on the first kind of port to said each next hop and the second forwarding information used to forward incoming network data that is received on the second kind of port to said each next hop. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to a first virtual forwarding interface (VFI) when the ingress port is the first kind of port, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to a second VFI when the ingress port is the second kind of port, wherein the first VFI maps to the first forwarding information, wherein the second VFI maps the second forwarding information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the switching device operates as a first VXLAN endpoint (VTEP) device and the first source address associated with the switching device is an address of the first VTEP device when the ingress port on the switching device is a member of an MLAG, wherein the switching device operates as a second VTEP device and the second source address associated with the switching device is an address of the second VTEP device when the ingress port on the switching device is an orphan port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the next hop is an uplink VTEP device. ### Claim 15 A switching device comprising: one or more computer processors; and a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to be operable to: receive incoming network data on an ingress port of the switching device, wherein the incoming network data specifies a virtual local area network identifier (VLAD ID); generate outgoing network data for transmission to a next hop, including: obtaining forwarding information from one or more mapping tables using the VLAN ID contained in the incoming network data and the ingress port as index keys into the one or more mapping tables to identify the forwarding information, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to first forwarding information that includes a first source address associated with the switching device when the ingress port is a first kind of port, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to second forwarding information that includes a second source address associated when the ingress port is second kind of port; and combining the incoming network data with the forwarding information to generate the outgoing network data; and send the outgoing network data to the next hop on an egress port of the switching device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The switching device of claim 15, wherein the first kind of port is a multi-chassis link aggregation group (MLAG) port on the switching device and the second kind of port is an orphan port on the switching device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The switching device of claim 15, wherein for each next hop that the switching device can transmit data to, the one or more mapping tables include the first forwarding information used to forward incoming network data that is received on the first kind of port to said each next hop and the second forwarding information used to forward incoming network data that is received on the second kind of port to said each next hop. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The switching device of claim 15, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to a first virtual forwarding interface (VFI) when the ingress port is the first kind of port, wherein the ingress port and the VLAN ID map to a second VFI when the ingress port is the second kind of port, wherein the first VFI maps to the first forwarding information, wherein the second VFI maps to the second forwarding information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The switching device of claim 15, wherein the switching device operates as a first VXLAN endpoint (VTEP) device and the first source address associated with the switching device is an address of the first VTEP device when the ingress port on the switching device is a member of an MLAG, wherein the switching device operates as a second VTEP device and the second source address associated with the switching device is an address of the second VTEP device when the ingress port on the switching device is an orphan port. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The switching device of claim 15, wherein the next hop is an uplink VTEP device.