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US 9,001,824 B2Granted
Fabric formation for virtual cluster switching
AssigneeBrocade Communication Systems, Inc.
InventorsShiv Haris, Phanidhar Koganti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch system. The switch includes a port to couple to a second switch and a control mechanism configured. During operation, the control mechanism receives from the second switch a set of configuration information. Based on the received configuration information, the control mechanism invites the second switch to join a virtual cluster switch.
Claims18
A first switch, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
- processing configuration information which indicates whether a second switch is a member of an Ethernet fabric switch, wherein the Ethernet fabric switch comprises a number of physical switches and functions as a single switch, and wherein the first switch is a member of the Ethernet fabric switch, and wherein the second switch is not yet a member of the Ethernet fabric switch;
- based on the configuration information, constructing an invitation message for the second switch to become a member of the Ethernet fabric switch;
- maintaining a global configuration database which stores configuration information of the physical switches in the Ethernet fabric switch, wherein a respective entry in the global configuration database is associated with a unique identifier;
- and
- reserving a slot in the global configuration database for the second switch based on a unique identifier of the second switch.
5 more elements
An Ethernet fabric switch, comprising:
- a plurality of switches functioning as a single switch;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium residing on a respective switch and storing instructions which when executed by a processor in the switch causes the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
- processing configuration information which indicates whether a second switch is a member of the Ethernet fabric switch, and wherein the second switch is not yet a member of the Ethernet fabric switch;
- based on the configuration information, constructing an invitation message for the second switch to become a member of the Ethernet fabric switch;
- maintaining a global configuration database which stores configuration information of the physical switches in the Ethernet fabric switch, wherein a respective entry in the global configuration database is associated with a unique identifier;
- and
- reserving a slot in the global configuration database for the second switch based on a unique identifier of the second switch.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- processing at a first switch configuration information which indicates whether a second switch is a member of an Ethernet fabric switch, wherein the Ethernet fabric switch comprises a number of physical switches and functions as a single switch, wherein the first switch is a member of the Ethernet fabric switch, and wherein the second switch is not yet a member of the Ethernet fabric switch;
- and
- based on the configuration information, constructing an invitation message for the second switch to become a member of the Ethernet fabric switch;
- maintaining a global configuration database which stores configuration information of the physical switches in the Ethernet fabric switch, wherein a respective entry in the global configuration database is associated with a unique identifier;
- and
- reserving a slot in the global configuration database for the second switch based on a unique identifier of the second switch.
3 more elements
A switch means, comprising:
- a control means for:
- processing configuration information which indicates whether a second switch means is a member of an Ethernet fabric switch means, wherein the Ethernet fabric switch means comprises a number of switch means and functions a single switch means, wherein the switch means is a member of the Ethernet fabric switch means, and wherein the second switch means is not yet a member of the Ethernet fabric switch means;
- based on the configuration information, constructing an invitation message for the second switch means to become a member of the Ethernet fabric switch means;
- and
- maintaining a global configuration database which stores configuration information of the switch means in the Ethernet fabric switch means, wherein a respective entry in the global configuration database is associated with a unique identifier;
- and
- reserving a slot in the global configuration database for the second switch means based on a unique identifier of the second switch means.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.