Fabric control protocol for data center networks with packet spraying over multiple alternate data paths

Enacted on a source access node, a method comprising:

• spraying, over a plurality of data paths through a switch fabric, packets of a data flow between a source server and a destination server by:
• tracking a number of bytes of the packets of the data flow previously transmitted on each of the plurality of data paths by the source access node;
• determining, for each of the plurality of data paths, a count of bytes previously transmitted on each respective path;
• and
• directing each of the packets of the data flow to a data path selected based on the count of bytes previously transmitted on each respective path, wherein a first packet and a second packet of the packets of the data flow travel over different data paths of the plurality of data paths.

A source server comprising:

• a plurality of source access nodes, wherein each source access node communicates with a destination server over a plurality of data paths through a switch fabric, and wherein each source access node is configured to spray packets of a data flow of packets between the source server and the destination server over the plurality of data paths by:
• tracking a number of bytes of the packets of the data flow previously transmitted on each of the plurality of data paths;
• determining, for each of the plurality of data paths, a count of bytes previously transmitted on each respective path;
• and
• directing each of the packets of the data flow to data path selected based on the count of bytes previously transmitted on each respective path, wherein a first packet and a second packet of the packets of the data flow travel over different data paths of the plurality of data paths.