Transparent interconnection of Ethernet fabric switches

A method, comprising:

• maintaining a membership of a switch in a first network of interconnected switches, wherein the first network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier;
• determining that a virtual switch representing a second network of interconnected switches is a next-hop switch reachable via a local port of the switch;
• determining that an egress switch identifier in a first encapsulation header of a first packet is assigned to the virtual switch, wherein the first packet is forwardable in the first network of interconnected switches based on the first encapsulation header;
• updating the first packet by replacing an ingress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header with a first virtual switch identifier representing the first network of interconnected switches, wherein the egress switch identifier is a second virtual switch identifier assigned to the virtual switch, and wherein the first and second virtual switch identifiers are distinct from a switch identifier identifying a physical switch in a network of interconnected switches;
• and
• determining the local port as an egress port for the updated first packet based on the egress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header.

A computer system;

• comprising:
• a processor;
• a storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
• maintaining a membership of a switch in a first network of interconnected switches, wherein the first network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier;
• determining that a virtual switch representing a second network of interconnected switches is a next-hop switch reachable via a local port of the switch;
• determining that an egress switch identifier in a first encapsulation header of a first packet is assigned to the virtual switch, wherein the first packet is forwardable in the first network of interconnected switches based on the first encapsulation header;
• and
• updating the first packet by replacing an ingress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header with a first virtual switch identifier representing the first network of interconnected switches, wherein the egress switch identifier is a second virtual switch identifier assigned to the virtual switch, and wherein the first and second virtual switch identifiers are distinct from a switch identifier identifying a physical switch in a network of interconnected switches;
• and
• determining the local port as an egress port for the updated first packet based on the egress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• maintaining a membership of a switch in a first network of interconnected switches, wherein the first network of interconnected switches is identified by a fabric identifier;
• determining that a virtual switch representing a second network of interconnected switches is a next-hop switch reachable via a local port of the switch;
• determining that an egress switch identifier in a first encapsulation header of a first packet is assigned to the virtual switch, wherein the first packet is forwardable in the first network of interconnected switches based on the first encapsulation header;
• updating the first packet by replacing an ingress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header with a first virtual switch identifier representing the first network of interconnected switches, wherein the egress switch identifier is a second virtual switch identifier assigned to the virtual switch, and wherein the first and second virtual switch identifiers are distinct from a switch identifier identifying a physical switch in a network of interconnected switches;
• and
• determining the local port as an egress port for the updated first packet based on the egress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header.