Managing configuration updates

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• receiving a request to update a configuration of a first switch, the first switch having a first active network connection with a first computing device, the first switch being in a logical unit of redundant switches, the logical unit of redundant switches including at least two interconnected layers of switches, a first layer of the at least two interconnected layers of switches being connected to a set of one or more host machines, and a second layer of the at least two interconnected layers being connected to a network;
• determining that the first computing device does not have a second active network connection to one or more other switches in the logical unit of redundant switches;
• initiating a second active network connection between a second switch in the logical unit of redundant switches and the first computing device based at least in part on a first snapshot of network topology of the first active network connection and the second active network connection;
• shifting network traffic away from the first switch;
• disconnecting the first active network connection;
• applying the update to modify the configuration of the first switch;
• performing one or more tests;
• obtaining a second snapshot of the network topology of the first active network connection and the second active network connection;
• shifting network traffic back to the first switch based at least in part on a comparison of the first snapshot and the second snapshot;
• and
• prior to at least one of shifting network traffic away from the first switch or shifting traffic to the first switch:
• determining whether at least one network component referenced by the first switch is available;
• and
• validating the first switch by determining whether the first switch operates within a determined range of functional values.

A system, comprising:

• a first network switch in a layer of network switches, the first network switch having a first configuration;
• a second network switch in the layer of network switches, the second network switch having a second configuration;
• a set of one or more computing devices, a first computing device of the set of one or more computing devices connected to the first network switch using a first active network connection, a second computing device of the set of one or more computing devices connected to the second network switch using a second active network connection;
• a processor;
• and
• memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause a management component to update the first configuration of the first network switch and the second configuration of the second network switch, wherein updating the first configuration and the second configuration comprises:
• verifying at least two active network connections to the first computing device based at least in part on a first snapshot of network topology of the first active network connection and the second active network connection,
• shifting network traffic away from the first network switch,
• updating the first configuration,
• verifying at least two active network connections to the second computing device,
• shifting network traffic away from the second network switch,
• updating the second configuration,
• validating the first configuration and the second configuration by determining whether the first network switch and the second network switch operates within a determined range of functional values,
• obtaining a second snapshot of at least the first active network connection and the second active network connection after updating the first configuration and the second configuration, and
• shifting network traffic back to the first network switch and the second network switch based at least in part on a comparison of the first snapshot and the second snapshot.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a set of operations comprising:

• determining that a configuration of at least one specified switch is to be updated, the at least one specified switch positioned in at least one layer of a logical unit of switches;
• verifying, before updating the configuration of the at least one specified switch, that each switch in the logical unit of switches, having a first active network connection to one of the at least one specified switch, also has a second active network connection to at least one other switch in the logical unit of network switches, the verifying based at least in part on a first snapshot of a network topology of the first active network connection and the second active network connection;
• applying a configuration update to the at least one specified switch;
• prior to at least shifting network traffic away from the at least one specified switch or shifting traffic back to the at least one specified switch:
• determining whether at least one network component referenced by the at least one specified switch is available;
• and
• determining whether the at least one specified switch operates within a determined range of functional values;
• obtaining a second snapshot of the network topology of at least the first active network connection and the second active network connection after the configuration update;
• and
• shifting network traffic to the at least one specified switch based at least in part on a comparison of the first snapshot and the second snapshot.