Load balancing switch protocols
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorBallard C. Bare
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switch to switch protocol for network load balancing which permits parallel redundant paths in a network to be utilized while reducing broadcast or problems inherent in prior switch configuration protocols. In particular, the present invention includes in the protocol a hello packet protocol which serves to exchange load balancing information among switches within a common load balance domain. Further, the hello packet protocol of the present invention enables detection and correction of improperly configured loops outside a load balance domain.
Claims32
A method operable within a network switch for exchanging information among a plurality of network switches within a load balance domain, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) exchanging hello packets between corresponding ports on a first switch of said plurality of network switches and a second switch of said plurality of network switches in order to identify switches within the load balance domain and switches outside the load balance domain, said hello packets include identification information identifying a particular port in a switch that generates a hello packet;
- b) identifying if said corresponding ports are within said load balance domain in accordance with the exchanged hello packets;
- and
- repeating steps a) and b) for each port on switches of said plurality of switches.
A network switch including a computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a method operable within said network switch for exchanging information among a plurality of network switches within a load balance domain, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) exchanging hello packets between corresponding ports on a first switch of said plurality of network switches and a second switch of said plurality of network switches in order to identify switches within the load balance domain and switches outside the load balance domain, said hello packets include identification information identifying a particular port in a switch that generates a hello packet;
- b) identifying if said corresponding ports are within said load balance domain in accordance with the exchanged hello packets;
- and
- repeating steps a) and b) for each port on switches of said plurality of switches.
A method operable within a network switch for exchanging information among a plurality of network switches within a load balance domain, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) exchanging hello packets between corresponding ports on a first switch of said plurality of network switches and a second switch of said plurality of network switches;
- b) identifying said corresponding ports as within said load balance domain in accordance with the exchanged hello packets;
- and
- repeating steps a) and b) for each port on switches of said plurality of switches;
- wherein said hello packets include hello request packets and hello response packets and wherein the step of exchanging includes the steps of:
- transmitting a hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- and
- receiving, in said first switch, a hello response packet transmitted from said second switch to said first switch in response to transmission of said hello request packet;
- identifying the corresponding port of said first switch as outside said load balance domain in response to failure to receive said hello response packet in response to transmission of said hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- wherein the step of transmitting hello request packets comprises the step of:
- periodically transmitting said hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- and
- wherein the method further comprises the step of:
- identifying a dead port within said load balance domain in accordance with said hello request packets;
- wherein said hello request packets include a hello time parameter value and include a dead count parameter value and wherein the step of identifying a dead port includes the steps of:
- first detecting, in said second switch, the expiration of a dead period of time equal to said hello time parameter value during which no hello request packet is received from said first switch;
- detecting, in response to the step of first detecting, a consecutive number of dead periods during where said consecutive number is equal to said dead count parameter value;
- and
- identifying said corresponding port of said second switch as a dead port in response to the detection of said consecutive dead periods.
A method operable within a network switch for exchanging information among a plurality of network switches within a load balance domain, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) exchanging hello packets between corresponding ports on a first switch of said plurality of network switches and a second switch of said plurality of network switches;
- b) identifying said corresponding ports as within said load balance domain in accordance with the exchanged hello packets;
- and
- repeating steps a) and b) for each port on switches of said plurality of switches;
- wherein said hello packets include hello request packets and hello response packets and wherein the step of exchanging includes the steps of:
- transmitting a hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- and
- receiving, in said first switch, a hello response packet transmitted from said second switch to said first switch in response to transmission of said hello request packet;
- wherein said hello request packets include a source MAC address value identifying the transmitting switch and identifying the port of the transmitting switch from which the hello request packet is transmitted and wherein the method further comprises the step of:
- identifying an illegal configuration of network devices associated with a switch which received an illegal hello request packet.
A network switch including a computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a method operable within said network switch for exchanging information among a plurality of network switches within a load balance domain, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) exchanging hello packets between corresponding ports on a first switch of said plurality of network switches and a second switch of said plurality of network switches;
- b) identifying said corresponding ports as within said load balance domain in accordance with the exchanged hello packets;
- and
- repeating steps a) and b) for each port on switches of said plurality of switches;
- wherein said hello packets include hello request packets and hello response packets and wherein the method step of exchanging includes the steps of:
- transmitting a hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- and
- receiving, in said first switch, a hello response packet transmitted from said second switch to said first switch in response to transmission of said hello request packet;
- wherein the method step further comprises the step of identifying the corresponding port of said first switch as outside said load balance domain in response to failure to receive said hello response packet in response to transmission of said hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- wherein the method step of transmitting hello request packets comprises the step of:
- periodically transmitting said hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- and
- wherein the method further comprises the step of:
- identifying a dead port within said load balance domain in accordance with said hello request packets;
- wherein said hello request packets include a hello time parameter value and include a dead count parameter value and wherein the method step of identifying a dead port includes the steps of:
- first detecting, in said second switch, the expiration of a dead period of time equal to said hello time parameter value during which no hello request packet is received from said first switch;
- detecting, in response to the step of first detecting, a consecutive number of dead periods during where said consecutive number is equal to said dead count parameter value;
- and
- identifying said corresponding port of said second switch as a dead port in response to the detection of said consecutive dead periods.
A network switch including a computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a method operable within said network switch for exchanging information among a plurality of network switches within a load balance domain, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) exchanging hello packets between corresponding ports on a first switch of said plurality of network switches and a second switch of said plurality of network switches;
- b) identifying said corresponding ports as within said load balance domain in accordance with the exchanged hello packets;
- and
- repeating steps a) and b) for each port on switches of said plurality of switches;
- wherein said hello packets include hello request packets and hello response packets and wherein the step of exchanging includes the steps of:
- transmitting a hello request packet from said first switch to said second switch;
- and
- receiving, in said first switch, a hello response packet transmitted from said second switch to said first switch in response to transmission of said hello request packet;
- wherein said hello request packets include a source MAC address value identifying the transmitting switch and identifying the port of the transmitting switch from which the hello request packet is transmitted and wherein the method further comprises the step of:
- identifying an illegal configuration of network devices associated with a switch which received an illegal hello request packet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.