System and method for supporting flexible forwarding domain boundaries in a high performance computing environment
AssigneeOracle International Corporation
InventorsBjørn Dag Johnsen, Arvind Srinivasan, Shimon Muller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
System and method for supporting flexible forwarding domain boundaries in a high performance computing environment. In accordance with an embodiment, flexible forwarding domain boundaries can be supported by dividing/partitioning a physical switch into two or more logical switches, where each switch is logically in a different domain, and allowing a fabric to be decomposed into independent subnets with one two or more physical end ports at the physical switch. By doing so, the same hierarchical forwarding structure and management structure between subnets can be provided as when complete physical switches are used as building blocks.
Claims20
A method for supporting flexible forwarding domain boundaries in a high performance computing environment, comprising:
- providing, at one or more computers, including one or more microprocessors,
- a first subnet, the first subnet comprising a first set of network switches;
- and
- a second subnet, the second subnet comprising a second set of network switches;
- partitioning a network switch having a plurality of switch ports to comprise a first domain and a second domain, wherein the first domain comprises a first subset of the plurality of switch ports, and wherein the second domain comprises a second subset of the plurality of switch ports,
- logically associating the first domain with the first subnet;
- logically associating the second domain with the second subnet;
- providing, within the partitioned switch, a first hardware table, the first hardware table comprising a mapping of ports and relative roles, the first hardware table being associated with a switch port of the first subset of the plurality of switch ports;
- and
- providing, within the partitioned switch, a second hardware table, the second hardware table comprising a mapping of ports and relative roles, the second hardware table being associated with a switch port of the second subset of the plurality of switch ports;
- wherein the first domain and the second domain are configurable.
A system for supporting flexible forwarding domain boundaries in a high performance computing environment, the system comprising:
- a computer environment comprising:
- a first subnet, the first subnet comprising a first set of network switches;
- and
- a second subnet, the second subnet comprising a second set of network switches;
- wherein a network switch having a plurality of switch ports is partitioned to comprise a first domain and a second domain, wherein the first domain comprises a first subset of the plurality of switch ports, and wherein the second domain comprises a second subset of the plurality of switch ports,
- wherein the first domain is logically associated with the first subnet;
- wherein the second domain is logically associated with the second subnet;
- providing, within the partitioned switch, a first hardware table, the first hardware table comprising a mapping of ports and relative roles, the first hardware table being associated with a switch port of the first subset of the plurality of switch ports;
- and
- wherein a second hardware table is provided within the partitioned switch, the second hardware table comprising a mapping of ports and relative roles, the second hardware table being associated with a switch port of the second subset of the plurality of switch ports;
- wherein the first domain and the second domain are configurable.
The system of 12, wherein the first, second, and third subsets of the plurality of switch ports are exclusive.
A non-transitory machine readable medium, including instructions stored thereon for supporting flexible forwarding domain boundaries in a high performance computing environment, which when read and executed by one or more computers caused the one or more computers to perform steps comprising:
- providing, at one or more computers, including one or more microprocessors,
- a first subnet, the first subnet comprising a first set of network switches;
- and
- a second subnet, the second subnet comprising a second set of network switches;
- partitioning a network switch having a plurality of switch ports to comprise a first domain and a second domain, wherein the first domain comprises a first subset of the plurality of switch ports, and wherein the second domain comprises a second subset of the plurality of switch ports,
- logically associating the first domain with the first subnet;
- logically associating the second domain with the second subnet;
- providing, within the partitioned switch, a first hardware table, the first hardware table comprising a mapping of ports and relative roles, the first hardware table being associated with a switch port of the first subset of the plurality of switch ports;
- and
- providing, within the partitioned switch, a second hardware table, the second hardware table comprising a mapping of ports and relative roles, the second hardware table being associated with a switch port of the second subset of the plurality of switch ports;
- wherein the first domain and the second domain are configurable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.