# US 12,008,382 B2 · Automatic formation of a virtual chassis using zero touch provisioning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,382 B2 - Document ID: US12008382B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/053,189 - Filed: 2022-11-07 - Published: 2023-03-23 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-18 - Assignees: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Applicants: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Alfa Prakash Puhan; Nandan Debnath - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008382B2 ## CPC - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - G06F 9/4411: {Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers} - G06F 9/4416: {Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]} - G06F 16/1834: {implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella (p2p communication protocols H04L67/104)} - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 41/0886: {Fully automatic configuration} - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/122: of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - H04L 67/1061: using node-based peer discovery mechanisms (static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51) - G06F 2009/45595: {Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances} - H04L 41/0809: {Plug-and-play configuration} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A network device may obtain information concerning a virtual chassis that indicates that the network device and an additional network device are to be included in the virtual chassis. The network device may determine, based on the information concerning the virtual chassis, that the network device is connected to the additional network device, wherein the network device is connected to the additional network device via a link between a network interface of the network device and a network interface of the additional network device. The network device may cause the network interface of the network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface and the network interface of the additional network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface to enable the network device and the additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis to allow bootstrapping of the virtual chassis as a single logical device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: sending, by a network device and to a bootstrap device, a request message to provide information about a virtual chassis, receiving, by the network device and from the bootstrap device, a message that includes primary information to form the virtual chassis, wherein the primary information includes information identifying the virtual chassis and information indicating an additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis, wherein the network device is connected to the additional network device via a link between a network interface of the network device and a network interface of the additional network device, and wherein the network device and the additional network device communicate with the bootstrap device; sending, by the network device, via the link, and based on the primary information, a neighbor discovery request to the additional network device, wherein the neighbor discovery request includes an identifier of the virtual chassis; receiving, by the network device, via the link, and based on sending the neighbor discovery request to the additional network device, a neighbor discovery request acknowledgment from the additional network device based on matching the identifier of the virtual chassis; determining, by the network device and based on the neighbor discovery request acknowledgment, that the network device is connected to the additional network device via the link; and causing the network interface of the network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface and the network interface of the additional network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface to enable the network device and the additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: parsing the message to identify the primary information concerning the virtual chassis based on receiving the message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating, via the virtual chassis interface of the network device and the virtual chassis interface of the additional network device, virtual chassis specific control traffic with the additional network device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the virtual chassis specific control traffic comprises one or more of: traffic regarding formation, maintenance, or operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the virtual chassis includes the network device and the additional network device; and sending, based on determining that the virtual chassis includes the network device and the additional network device, a report concerning a status of the virtual chassis to a server device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating, via the virtual chassis interface of the network device and the virtual chassis interface of the additional network device, with the additional network device; and determining, based on communicating with the additional network device, respective roles for the network device and the additional network device in the virtual chassis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the neighbor discovery request is a vendor specific attribute (VSA) type-length-value (TLV). ### Claim 8 A network device, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors to: send, to a bootstrap device, a request message to provide information about a virtual chassis, receive, from the bootstrap device, a message that includes primary information to form the virtual chassis, wherein the primary information includes information identifying the virtual chassis and information indicating an additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis, wherein the network device is connected to the additional network device via a link, and wherein the network device and the additional network device communicate with the bootstrap device; receive, via the link and based on sending a neighbor discovery request to the additional network device, a neighbor discovery request acknowledgment from the additional network device based on matching an identifier of the virtual chassis included in the neighbor discovery request; determine, based on the neighbor discovery request acknowledgment, that the network device is connected to the additional network device via the link; and cause a network interface of the network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface and a network interface of the additional network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface to enable the network device and the additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further to: select a particular network interface of one or more network interfaces; and send the neighbor discovery request via the particular network interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further to: communicate virtual chassis specific control traffic to cause the network device to be assigned a first role and the additional network device to be assigned a second role. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network interface of the additional network device to be converted to the virtual chassis interface, are to: send, via the link, a conversion request to the additional network device; receive, via the link and after sending the conversion request to the additional network device, a conversion request acknowledgment from the additional network device; and send, via the link and after receiving the conversion request acknowledgment from the additional network device, a conversion command to the additional network device to cause the additional network device to convert the network interface of the additional network device to the virtual chassis interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further to: communicate, via the virtual chassis interface of the network device and the virtual chassis interface of the additional network device, virtual chassis specific control traffic with the additional network device; and determine, based on communicating the virtual chassis specific control traffic with the additional network device, that the virtual chassis includes the network device and the additional network device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The network device of claim 8, wherein the neighbor discovery request includes information identifying the virtual chassis, information identifying the additional network device, and information identifying the network interface of the additional network device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further to: sending a report to the bootstrap device which indicates a status of the virtual chassis. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network device of a virtual chassis, cause the one or more processors to: send, to a bootstrap device, a request message to provide information about the virtual chassis, receive, from the bootstrap device, a message that includes primary information to form the virtual chassis, wherein the primary information includes information identifying a virtual chassis and information indicating an additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis, and wherein the network device and the additional network device communicate with the bootstrap device; send, based on the primary information, a neighbor discovery request to the additional network device, wherein the neighbor discovery request includes an identifier of the virtual chassis; receive, after sending the neighbor discovery request to the additional network device, a neighbor discovery request acknowledgment from the additional network device based on matching the identifier of the virtual chassis; determine, based on the neighbor discovery request acknowledgment, that the network device is connected to the additional network device; and cause a network interface of the network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface and a network interface of the additional network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface to enable the network device and the additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the network device is connected to the additional network device via a link that connects the network interface of the network device to the network interface of the additional network device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to cause the network interface of the additional network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface, cause the one or more processors to: cause the network device to send a conversion request to the additional network device; receive, from the network device, a conversion request acknowledgment that was generated by the additional network device; cause, after receiving the conversion request acknowledgment, the network device to send a conversion command to the additional network device; and determine, after causing the network device to send the conversion command to the additional network device, that the virtual chassis includes the additional network device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the neighbor discovery request includes information identifying the virtual chassis, information identifying the additional network device, and information identifying the network interface of the additional network device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to send the neighbor discovery request to the additional network, cause the one or more processors to: select a particular network interface of one or more network interfaces; and send the neighbor discovery request via the particular network interface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, further cause the one or more processors to: communicate, via the virtual chassis interface of the network device and a virtual chassis interface of the additional network device, virtual chassis specific control traffic with the additional network device; and determine, based on communicating the virtual chassis specific control traffic with the additional network device, that the virtual chassis includes the network device and the additional network device.