US 9,628,408 B2 · Dissimilar switch stacking system

Abstract

A switch IHS stacking system includes a plurality of switch IHSs. A least one first switch IHS includes a first processing system and at least one second switch IHS includes a second processing system that is different from the first processing system. A stacking engine is located on each of the plurality of switch IHSs. Following the coupling of the plurality of switch IHSs into a stack and in response to the startup of the plurality of switch IHSs, the each of the stacking engines may exchange capability information with each of the plurality of switch IHSs and determine a control plane processing system affinity and a data plane processing system affinity for each of the plurality of switch IHSs. The stacking engines may then determine a master switch IHS for the stack that has the highest control plane processing system affinity and data plane processing system affinity.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A stacking system, comprising:

a plurality of networking devices that include:
at least one first platform networking device having a first platform processing system;
and
at least one second platform networking device having a second platform processing system that is different from the first platform processing system;
and
at least one stacking engine that is provided by the plurality of networking devices, wherein the at least one stacking engine is configured, following the coupling of the plurality of networking devices into a stack and in response to the initiation of the plurality of networking devices, to:
exchange capability information for each of the plurality of networking devices;
determine a processing system capability for each of the plurality of networking devices;
and
determine a master networking device for the stack from the plurality of networking devices based on the master networking device having a highest processing system capability of the plurality of networking devices.

7 more elements

A first networking device, comprising:

a communication subsystem;
a first processing subsystem coupled to communication subsystem;
and
a stacking engine that is configured, following connection to a stack including a plurality of second networking devices that include at least one second networking device having a second processing subsystem that is different from the first processing subsystem, to:
receive capability information for each of the plurality of second networking devices;
determine a processing system capability for the first networking device and each of the plurality of second networking devices;
and
determine a master networking device for the stack based on the master networking device being one of the first networking device and the plurality of second networking devices that has a highest processing system capability.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dissimilar switch stacking system

Life of this patent

Dissimilar switch stacking system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20