Methods and apparatus for centralized virtual switch fabric control
AssigneeJuniper Networks, Inc.
InventorsGunes Aybay, Pradeep Sindhu, Anjan Venkatramani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a processing module, disposed within a first switch fabric element, configured to detect a second switch fabric element having a routing module when the second switch fabric element is operatively coupled to the first switch fabric element. The processing module is configured to define a virtual processing module configured to be operatively coupled to the second switch fabric element. The virtual processing module is configured to receive a request from the second switch fabric element for forwarding information and the virtual processing module is configured to send the forwarding information to the routing module.
Claims18
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processing module, configured based on a first software configuration and at a first time and disposed within a first switch fabric element, configured to detect a second switch fabric element having a routing module when the second switch fabric element is operatively coupled to the first switch fabric element, the processing module configured to define a virtual processing module locally within the processing module of the first switch fabric element, the virtual processing module configured to be operatively coupled to the second switch fabric element, the processing module is configured to receive a configuration file to configure the processing module based on a second software configuration at a second time, after the first time;
- and the virtual processing module configured based on a first software configuration and at a first time and configured to receive a request from the second switch fabric element for forwarding information, the virtual processing module configured to send the forwarding information to the routing module, the virtual processing module is configured based on the second software configuration at a third time, after the second time.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processing module, having a first software configuration and being disposed with a first switch fabric element, configured to detect a second switch fabric element;
- the processing module configured to, at a first time, operatively couple a virtual processing module, configured based on the first software configuration and being disposed locally within the processing module of the first switch fabric element, to the second switch fabric element;
- the processing module configured to receive a configuration file to configure the processing module based on a second software configuration at a second time after the first time;
- and the processing module configured to configure the virtual processing module based on the second software configuration.
A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:
- detect a first switch fabric element having a routing module and a processor;
- and define locally within the processor, a virtual processing module operatively coupled to the first switch fabric element, the virtual processing module is configured to receive a request from the first switch fabric element for forwarding information, the virtual processing module is configured to send the forwarding information to the routing module in response to receiving the request;
- receive a first configuration file to configure a processing module based on a first software configuration at a first time;
- define the virtual processing module based on the first configuration file;
- receive a second configuration file configured to configure the processing module based on a second software configuration, different from the first software configuration, at a second time, after the first time;
- and define the virtual processing module based on the second software configuration after the second time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.