US 8,798,045 B1Granted

Control plane architecture for switch fabrics

AssigneeJuniper Networks, Inc.

InventorsGunes Aybay, Jean-Marc Frailong

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In some embodiments, a system includes multiple access switches, a switch fabric having multiple switch fabric portions, and a control plane processor. Each switch fabric portion is coupled to at least one access switch by a cable from a first set of cables. Each switch fabric portion is configured to receive data from the at least one access switch via the cable from the first set of cables. The control plane processor is coupled to each switch fabric portion by a cable from a second set of cables. The control plane processor is configured to send control information to each access switch via a cable from the second set of cables, a switch fabric portion, and a cable from the first set of cables. The control plane processor is configured to determine control plane connections associated with each access switch and is configured to determine data plane connections associated with each access switch as a result of the control plane connections.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a plurality of access switches;
a switch fabric having a plurality of switch fabric portions, each switch fabric portion from the plurality of switch fabric portions to receive data from at least one access switch from the plurality of access switches via a cable from a first plurality of cables;
and
a control plane processor coupled to each switch fabric portion from the plurality of switch fabric portions by a cable from a second plurality of cables, the control plane processor to send control information to each access switch from the plurality of access switches via a cable from the second plurality of cables, a switch fabric portion from the plurality of switch fabric portions, and a cable from the first plurality of cables,
the control plane processor to determine a plurality of control plane connections associated with each access switch from the plurality of access switches, the control plane processor to determine a plurality of data plane connections associated with each access switch from the plurality of access switches as a result of the plurality of control plane connections,
each cable from the first plurality of cables having a plurality of optical fibers, at least one optical fiber from the plurality of optical fibers of a cable from the first plurality of cables to send data between an access switch from the plurality of access switches and a switch fabric portion from the plurality of switch fabric portions, at least one optical fiber from the plurality of optical fibers of the cable from the first plurality of cables to send a control signal between the access switch from the plurality of access switches and the switch fabric portion from the plurality of switch fabric portions.

3 more elements

A system, comprising:

a distributed switch fabric having a first switch fabric portion disposed within a first chassis and a second switch fabric portion disposed within a second chassis;
a first plurality of access switches, each access switch from the first plurality of access switches being directly coupled to the first switch fabric portion via a cable from a first plurality of cables;
a second plurality of access switches, each access switch from the second plurality of access switches being directly coupled to the second switch fabric portion via a cable from a second plurality of cables, the access switches from the first plurality of access switches are not directly coupled to the second switch fabric portion and the access switches from the second plurality of access switches are not directly coupled to the first switch fabric portion;
a first control plane processor operatively coupled to the first switch fabric portion and the second switch fabric portion, the first control plane processor to send control information to a first set of access switches but not a second set of access switches, the first set of access switches including access switches from the first plurality of access switches and the second plurality of access switches, the second set of access switches including access switches from the first plurality of access switches and the second plurality of access switches;
and
a second control plane processor operatively coupled to the first switch fabric portion and the second switch fabric portion, the second control plane processor to send control information to the second set of access switches but not the first set of access switches, the first set of access switches being mutually exclusive of the second set of access switches.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/345,498Filed 29 Dec 2008
Granted: 5 Aug 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H04Q 11/0005
Using optical switching: switch and router aspects
H04L 41/12
Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks: discovery or management…
H04L 49/111
Characterised by the switching fabric construction: switch interfaces, e.g. port details
H04L 49/115
Arrangements for redundant switching, e.g. using parallel planes: transferring a complete packet or cell through each plane