Redundancy for port extender chains
AssigneeARRIS Enterprises LLC
InventorsBipin Agarwal, Arijit Bhattacharyya, Chandra Konathala Poorna, Suresh Nulu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques implementing redundancy in an extended bridge comprising a controller bridge (CB) unit and a plurality of port extender (PE) units are provided. In one embodiment, the CB unit can receive join requests from the plurality of PE units and can determine, based on the join requests, whether the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the CB unit and/or other CB units in the extended bridge according to a ring topology. If the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the CB unit or the other CB units according to a ring topology, the CB unit can select a link in the ring topology as being a standby link.
Claims15
A method performed by a controller bridge (CB) unit in an extended bridge, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the CB unit, join requests from a plurality of port extender (PE) units;
- determining, by the CB unit based on the join requests, whether the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the CB unit or other CB units in the extended bridge according to a ring topology;
- and
- upon determining that the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the CB unit or the other CB units according to a ring topology;
- selecting a link in the ring topology as being a standby link, the standby link separating the ring topology into:
- a first logical PE chain including PE units between a first endpoint of the standby link and the CB unit or other CB units, and
- a second logical PE chain including PE units between a second endpoint of the standby link and the CB unit or the other CB units;
- and
- transmitting a message to the each of the plurality of PE units, the message including instructions for programming hardware of the PE unit in accordance with the first logical PE chain if the PE unit is part of the first logical PE chain, or in accordance with the second logical PE chain if the PE unit is part of the second logical PE chain.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code executable by a controller bridge (CB) unit in an extended bridge, the program code causing the CB unit to:
- receive join requests from a plurality of port extender (PE) units;
- determine, based on the join requests, whether the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the CB unit or other CB units in the extended bridge according to a ring topology;
- and
- upon determining that the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the CB unit or the other CB units according to a ring topology;
- select a link in the ring topology as being a standby link, the standby link separating the ring topology into:
- a first logical PE chain including PE units between a first endpoint of the standby link and the CB unit or other CB units, and
- a second logical PE chain including PE units between a second endpoint of the standby link and the CB unit or the other CB units;
- and
- transmit a message to the each of the plurality of PE units, the message including instructions for programming hardware of the PE unit in accordance with the first logical PE chain if the PE unit is part of the first logical PE chain, or in accordance with the second logical PE chain if the PE unit is part of the second logical PE chain.
A network device operable to act as a controller bridge (CB) unit in an extended bridge, the network device comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory having stored thereon program code executable by the processor, the program code causing the processor to:
- receive join requests from a plurality of port extender (PE) units;
- determine, based on the join requests, whether the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the network device or other CB units in the extended bridge according to a ring topology;
- and
- upon determining that the plurality of PE units are physically connected to the network device or the other CB units according to a ring topology;
- select a link in the ring topology as being a standby link, the standby link separating the ring topology into:
- a first logical PE chain including PE units between a first endpoint of the standby link and the CB unit or other CB units, and
- a second logical PE chain including PE units between a second endpoint of the standby link and the CB unit or the other CB units;
- and
- transmit a message to the each of the plurality of PE units, the message including instructions for programming hardware of the PE unit in accordance with the first logical PE chain if the PE unit is part of the first logical PE chain, or in accordance with the second logical PE chain if the PE unit is part of the second logical PE chain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.