System for managing cluster of network switches using IP address for commander switch and redirecting a managing request via forwarding an HTTP connection to an expansion switch

A cluster of network devices, said cluster comprising:

• a commander network device having an IP address, said commander network device capable of receiving a network device management request from a management station via a first HTTP connection, and redirecting the request via a forwarding HTTP connection, the request including a Universal Resource Identifier (URI) indicating one of the network devices in the cluster and management data for the indicated network device;
• and
• at least one expansion network device capable of receiving the redirected request from the forwarding HTTP connection,
• wherein said commander network device includes:
• a request redirector for receiving the request, determining if the URI indicates an expansion network device, and forwarding the request to the expansion network device indicated by the URI.

A system for managing a cluster of network devices, said system comprising:

• a management station capable of sending a network device management request via a first HTRP connection, the request including a Universal Resource Identifier (URI) indicating one of the network devices in the cluster and management data for the indicated network device;
• a commander network device capable of receiving the request from the first HTTP connection, and redirecting the request via a forwarding HTTP connection;
• and
• at least one expansion network device capable of receiving the redirected request from the forwarding HTTP connection,
• wherein said commander network device includes:
• a request redirector for receiving the request, determining if the URI indicates an expansion network device, and forwarding the request to the expansion network device indicated by the URI.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for managing a cluster of network devices, the method comprising:

• assigning an IP address for the cluster to a first network device selected as a commander network device, remaining network devices being expansion network devices;
• establishing a first HTTP connection from a management station to the first network device using the cluster IP address;
• receiving a network device management request at the first network device, the request including a Universal Resource Identifier (URI) indicating one of the network devices in the cluster and management data for the indicated network device;
• determining if the URI indicates an expansion network device;
• establishing a forwarding HTTP connection from the first network device to the expansion network device indicated by the URI;
• and
• redirecting the request to the expansion network device indicated by the URI.