Mechanism to enforce consistent next hops in a multi-tier network
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsMayukh Saubhasik, Binglai Niu, Ajay Kini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In general, the disclosure relates to a method for forwarding a packet through a multi-tier network by establishing a routing protocol session with network devices in the multi-tier network, obtaining routing protocol information from network devices of the multi-tier network, determining a group using the routing protocol information, generating an ordered group listing using network device identifiers (NDIs) for the network devices in the group, and programming a network device hardware of a network device of the set of network devices of the multi-tier network using the ordered group listing. The group includes a set of the network devices of the multi-tier network.
Claims20
A method of providing consistent next hop ordering when forwarding packets through a multi-tier network, the method comprising:
- establishing, by each of a set of network devices in a first tier of the multi-tier network, a routing protocol session with other network devices in the multi-tier network;
- obtaining, after the establishing, routing protocol information from the other network devices of the multi-tier network;
- determining, by each of the set of the network devices in the first tier of the multi-tier network, using the routing protocol information, a group of the network devices in a second tier of the multi-tier network;
- generating, by each of the set of the network devices in the first tier of the multi-tier network, a deterministic ordered group listing using network device identifiers (NDIs) for the network devices in the group of network devices;
- and
- programming, by each of the set of the network devices in the first tier of the multi-tier network, corresponding network device hardware of each of the set of the network devices using the ordered group listing.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a processor on a network device enables the network device to perform a method of providing consistent next hop ordering when forwarding packets through a multi-tier network, the method comprising:
- determining, using routing protocol information obtained from network devices in a multi-tier network, a group of next hops of the network device, wherein each next hop in the group of next hops is a network device in a second tier of a multi-tier network, wherein the network device is in a first tier of the multi-tiered network;
- generating, by the network device in the first tier of the multi-tier network, a deterministic ordered group listing using network device identifiers (NDIs) associated with the group of next hops;
- programming a network device hardware of the network device in the first tier of the multi-tier network using the ordered group listing;
- and
- forwarding, using the programmed network device hardware in the first tier of the multi-tier network, a packet received by the network device in the first tier of the multi-tier network to a next hop determined by the ordered group listing.
A network device in a first tier of a multi-tier network for providing consistent next hop ordering when forwarding a packet through the multi-tier network, comprising:
- a persistent storage that stores instructions;
- and
- a processor that when executing the instructions performs:
- establishing a routing protocol session with each of the network devices in the multi-tier network to obtain routing protocol information and unique identifiers for the network devices of the multi-tier network;
- determining, using the routing protocol information, a group of next hops of the network device in the first tier of the multi-tier network, wherein each next hop in the group of next hops is one of the network devices in a second tier of the multi-tier network;
- generating, by the network device in the first tier of the multi-tier network, a deterministic ordered group listing using the unique identifiers associated with the group of next hops;
- and
- programming a network device hardware of the network device in the first tier of the multi-tier network using the ordered group listing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.