Single switch image for a stack of switches
AssigneeZarlink Semiconductor V.N. Inc.
InventorJames Ching-Liang Huang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An architecture for creating a single image for a stack of switches. A plurality of the internetworking devices are provided in a stack configuration for interconnecting networks. Software is executed in each internetworking device such that the stack of internetworking devices appear as a single internetworking device to the interconnected networks.
Claims8
A method for selecting a master switch from a plurality of switches in a stack, each switch in the stack having at least one stack port for communication with at least another one of the plurality of switches in the stack, the method comprising:
- each switch in the stack communicating with at least one other switch in the stack via the at least one stack port thereof;
- determining whether at least one of the plurality of switches in the stack is an OSI Layer 3 switch;
- where at least one OSI Layer 3 switch is found in the stack, selecting the OSI Layer 3 switch having the lowest switch identification as the master switch of the stack;
- and
- where no OSI Layer 3 switch is found in the stack, selecting the switch having the lowest switch identification as the master switch of the stack;
- wherein the lowest switch identification is computed based on a unique Media Access Control address assigned to each switch in the stack, an Internet Protocol address assigned to each switch in the stack, a weight assigned to the stack port via which the switch is accessed, and a link cost assigned thereto.
A method for distributed OSI Layer 3 packet processing for a stacked switch configuration having a plurality of switches, wherein at least two of the plurality of switches in the stack are OSI Layer 3 switches and at least one of the plurality of switches is an OSI Layer 2 switch, the method comprising:
- assigning every OSI Layer 3 switch as a head router to itself;
- assigning to every OSI Layer 2 switch as its head router the closest OSI Layer 3 switch thereto;
- and
- assigning one of the at least two OSI Layer 3 switches as a master switch for stacked switch configuration;
- wherein the closeness to an OSI Layer 3 switch is measured as the number of hops between the OSI Layer 2 switch and the OSI Layer 3 switch as determined from the topology of the stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.