System and method for scaling ipv6 on a three-tier network architecture at a large data center

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one network interface to communicate with a computer network;
• a processor coupled to the at least one network interface and configured to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• establish a connection with at least one switch in a data center which has a multi-tiered architecture, the multi-tiered architecture having at least a first tier, a second tier on top of first tier and a third tier on top of the second tier;
• configure the memory to include a table having a plurality of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) entries, each IPv6 entry including prefix information identifying a specific virtual local area network (VLAN) on a specific switch in the data center and forwarding information associated with the specific switch in the data center;
• provision device prefixes for IPv6 addresses;
• transfer packets using the prefix information and address information;
• and
• propagate information encoding the device prefixes provisioned to at least one switch in the data center, the information being propagated through the second tier or the third layer of the multi-tiered architecture.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

• establish a connection with at least one switch in a data center which has a multi-tiered architecture, the multi-tiered architecture having at least a first tier, a second tier on top of first tier and a third tier on top of the second tier;
• configure the memory to include a table having a plurality of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) entries, each IPv6 entry including prefix information identifying a specific virtual local area network (VLAN) on a specific switch in the data center and forwarding information associated with the specific switch in the data center;
• provision device prefixes for IPv6 addresses;
• transfer packets using the prefix information and address information;
• and
• propagate information encoding the device prefixes provisioned to at least one switch in the data center, the information being propagated through the second tier or the third layer of the multi-tiered architecture.