Increasing multi-path size using hierarchical forwarding equivalent classes
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsTrevor Siemens, Mayukh Saubhasik, Vahab Akbarzadeh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for operating a network device for increasing the logical multi-path size of a hardware forwarding table are provided. In some embodiments, the network device may determine that a number of data points in a first node is greater than a maximum node capacity; generate second nodes; update the first node to refer to the second nodes; distribute the data points among the second nodes; and program a hardware table with the updated first node and the second nodes.
Claims20
A method in a network device comprising:
- obtaining a plurality of first next hops, wherein the plurality of first next hops represents a first forwarding equivalence class (FEC);
- and
- programming the plurality of first next hops in a hardware forwarding table of the network device, wherein the hardware forwarding table comprises FEC groups, the programming including:
- instantiating a first FEC group and a plurality of second FEC groups;
- storing references to the plurality of second FEC groups in the first FEC group;
- distributing and storing the plurality of first next hops among the plurality of second FEC groups;
- and
- programming the first FEC group and the plurality of second FEC groups in the hardware forwarding table.
A network device comprising:
- one or more computer processors;
- and
- a computer-readable storage device comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to:
- obtain a plurality of first next hops, wherein the plurality of next hops represents a first forwarding equivalence class (FEC);
- and
- program the plurality of first next hops in a hardware forwarding table of the network device, wherein the hardware forwarding table comprises FEC groups, the programming including:
- instantiating a first FEC group and a plurality of second FEC groups;
- storing references to the plurality of second FEC groups in the first FEC group;
- distributing and storing the plurality of first next hops among the plurality of second FEC groups;
- and
- programming the first FEC group and the plurality of second FEC groups in the hardware forwarding table.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage device in a network device, the non-transitory computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer executable instructions, which when executed, cause the network device to:
- obtain a plurality of first next hops, wherein the plurality of next hops represents a first forwarding equivalence class (FEC);
- and
- program the plurality of first next hops in a hardware forwarding table of the network device, wherein the hardware forwarding table comprises FEC groups, the programming including:
- instantiating a first FEC group and a plurality of second FEC groups;
- storing references to the plurality of second FEC groups in the first FEC group;
- distributing and storing the plurality of first next hops among the plurality of second FEC groups;
- and
- programming the first FEC group and the plurality of second FEC groups in the hardware forwarding table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.