US 2019/0104207 A1 · NETWORK ACCESS NODE VIRTUAL FABRICS CONFIGURED DYNAMICALLY OVER AN UNDERLAY NETWORK

Abstract

Network access node virtual fabrics configured dynamically over an underlay network are described. A centralized controller, such as a software-defined networking (SDN) controller, of a packet switched network is configured to establish one or more virtual fabrics as overlay networks on top of the physical underlay network of the packet switched network. For example, the SDN controller may define multiple sets of two of more access nodes connected to the packet switched network, and the access nodes of a given one of the sets may use a new data transmission protocol, referred to generally herein as a fabric control protocol (FCP), to dynamically setup tunnels as a virtual fabric over the packet switched network. The FCP tunnels may include all or a subset of the parallel data paths through the packet switched network between the access nodes for a given virtual fabric.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A network system comprising:

a plurality of servers;
a packet switched network comprising a centralized controller;
and
a plurality of access nodes, each of the access nodes coupled to a subset of the servers and coupled to the packet switched network,
wherein the centralized controller is configured to establish one or more virtual fabrics, wherein each of the virtual fabrics includes two or more of the access nodes,
wherein, when communicating a packet flow of packets between a source server and a destination server coupled to the access nodes for one of the virtual fabrics, a first one of the access nodes coupled to the source server is configured to spray the packets of the packet flow across a plurality of parallel data paths through the packet switched network to a second one of the access nodes coupled to the destination server, and
wherein the second one of the access nodes is configured to deliver the packets to the destination server.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of servers by a packet switched network and a plurality of access nodes, each of the access nodes coupled to a subset of the servers and coupled to the packet switched network;
establishing, by a centralized controller of the packet switched network, one or more virtual fabrics, wherein each of the virtual fabrics includes two or more of the access nodes;
and
communicating a packet flow of packets between a source server and a destination server coupled to the access nodes for one of the virtual fabrics including:
spraying, by a first one of the access nodes coupled to the source server, packets of the packet flow across a plurality of parallel data paths through the packet switched network to a second one of the access nodes coupled to the destination server, and
delivering, by the second one of the access nodes, the packets to the destination server.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Network access node virtual fabrics configured dynamically over an underlay network

Life of this patent

Network access node virtual fabrics configured dynamically over an underlay network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25