Abstract: In one embodiment, an autonomous system border router (ASBR) advertises a same forwarding label for received advertised routes of a merging context that were advertised with a same forwarding label for the ASBR to use when sending corresponding packets. An ASBR receives via a routing protocol from a particular router in the same autonomous system, a plurality of same-labeled received routes advertised with a same first forwarding label within a merging context. In response to each of the plurality of same-labeled received routes having the same first forwarding label to use to forward packets to the particular router and being in the same merging context, the ASBR determines a merged forwarding label and advertises to a peer ASBR in another autonomous system (AS) each of the plurality of same-labeled received routes with the merged forwarding label for the peer ASBR to use to forward packets to the ASBR.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first edge device at a first site, a first site overlay control plane message including control plane information. The first edge device translates the first site overlay control plane message into a core overlay control plane message. The first edge device sends the core overlay control plane message over a core network to a second edge device at a second site.

Abstract: A first provider edge network device that is configured in a multi-homed virtual private network for a data center in which there are one or more peer edge network devices including a second edge network device, receives from the second edge network device a message indicating that a link for a particular Ethernet segment of the second edge network device in the data center is down. Information is stored at the first edge network device indicating state of links for Ethernet segments associated with each of the one or more other edge network devices at the data center. The first edge network device forwards of traffic for the particular Ethernet segment locally on Ethernet segments in the data center on behalf of the second edge network device. The proxy forwarding is performed for traffic for the particular Ethernet segment that originates from the data center, that is, for “same-site” traffic.

Abstract: Techniques provided herein enable a set of independent, unconnected devices in a network to support distributed Layer 3 (L3) gateway functionality for an overlay based virtual network by intelligently triggering proxy addressing information updates.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a network controller identifies a first sign of life for an edge device in a communication network (e.g., when the network controller receives an encapsulated workflow request for the edge device over a control plane of the communication network). The network controller further imports the encapsulated workflow request from the edge device over the control plane, determines configuration parameters for a tenant and a tenant network from the encapsulated workflow request, and transmits the configuration parameters to the edge device to provision the edge device for the tenant according to the configuration parameters.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to detect a misconfigured duplicate Internet Protocol (IP) address in a distributed data center network fabric. A network topology is provided that includes a plurality of network elements. A network element receives a configuration message comprising an IP address from a first host associated with the first network element. The IP address is detected to already be in use by a second host associated with a second network element. A request message is provided to the second network element, the request message configured to cause the second network element to attempt to contact the second host. A reply message is received from the second network element. If the reply message indicates that the second host exists at the second network element, an indication of a misconfiguration event is generated. Otherwise, the IP address is associated with the first host.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a network controller identifies a first sign of life for an edge device in a communication network (e.g., when the network controller receives an encapsulated workflow request for the edge device over a control plane of the communication network). The network controller further imports the encapsulated workflow request from the edge device over the control plane, determines configuration parameters for a tenant and a tenant network from the encapsulated workflow request, and transmits the configuration parameters to the edge device to provision the edge device for the tenant according to the configuration parameters.

Abstract: An example method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving first values associated with a host located in a first overlay domain; translating the first values to second values, the second values being local values in a second overlay domain; storing the second values and corresponding first values in a mapping table for the second overlay domain; and advertising the second values for the host in the second overlay domain.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a network controller identifies a first sign of life for an edge device in a communication network (e.g., when the network controller receives an encapsulated workflow request for the edge device over a control plane of the communication network). The network controller further imports the encapsulated workflow request from the edge device over the control plane, determines configuration parameters for a tenant and a tenant network from the encapsulated workflow request, and transmits the configuration parameters to the edge device to provision the edge device for the tenant according to the configuration parameters.

Abstract: A system and a method are disclosed for synchronizing network convergence and virtual host migration in a network environment. An exemplary method includes upon receiving a message indicating that a mobile host manger will migrate a virtual host from a source node to a destination node in a network, pre-calculating a route for the virtual host at the destination node; and upon receiving a message indicating that the mobile host manager will freeze the virtual host, activating the pre-calculated route at a switch to minimize packet loss while the network converges. The pre-calculated route may be activated at a switch through which the virtual host at the source node connected to the network.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for designating, in an overlay transport virtualization (OTV) network connected to a data center, an edge device to act as a backup authoritative edge device (BAED) for an authoritative edge device (AED) for multicast packet encapsulation and forwarding. Data traffic associated with a given virtual local area network (VLAN) may be detected from a multicast source in the data center addressed to recipients in a site group. A mapping may be generated between the site group and a core data group in the OTV network for traffic from the multicast source. Advertisements may be sent of the mapping to edge devices in another data center across the OTV network. A similar configuration is presented for a BAED for inbound multicast traffic to a data center.

Abstract: In a mesh-based connected data center network architecture, a mechanism is provided to allow efficient delivery of IP multicast frames within the network. Described approaches avoid replication into VLANs (or SVIs) across the fabric by using the outer encapsulated tree to identify trees on which to replicate the traffic. Replication may be performed at the furthest point from the source (via routing or bridging). Also, multicast traffic may be distributed to dually connected (vPC) hosts on links from various network devices.

Abstract: In some embodiments, edge devices associated with a network segment are identified. One of the devices is elected as an authoritative device and any previous authoritative devices are instructed to halt forwarding network traffic to an overlay network.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for optimizing multicast routing in a network. At a router device, a message is sent to one or more physical devices. The message is configured to solicit a response indicating a network assignment for each of the physical devices. A response message is received from each of the physical devices. The response message comprises network assignment information for each of the physical devices. For each of the physical devices, the network assignment information is translated into a segment identifier. The segment identifier is distributed to other router devices in the network.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to detect a misconfigured duplicate Internet Protocol (IP) address in a distributed data center network fabric. A network topology is provided that includes a plurality of network elements. A network element receives a configuration message comprising an IP address from a first host associated with the first network element. The IP address is detected to already be in use by a second host associated with a second network element. A request message is provided to the second network element, the request message configured to cause the second network element to attempt to contact the second host. A reply message is received from the second network element. If the reply message indicates that the second host exists at the second network element, an indication of a misconfiguration event is generated. Otherwise, the IP address is associated with the first host.

Abstract: A first addressing message is received at a first switch in a network fabric indicating that a first virtual machine has undergone migration from connection to a first virtual switch at a first server to connection to a second virtual switch at a second server. A route advertisement message is then transmitted from the first switch to at least a second switch in the network fabric. This route advertisement is configured to cause the second switch to transmit a second addressing message to a second virtual machine connected to the first virtual switch. The second addressing message provides the second virtual machine with updated addressing information for the first virtual machine. A third addressing message is also transmitted from the first switch to the first virtual machine to provide the first virtual machine with updated addressing information for the second virtual machine.

Abstract: An example method for bi-directional flow stickiness in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet of a flow from a source address in a network, and destined to a destination address outside the network, looking up a flow table for an entry corresponding to the flow, and caching a forward flow entry and a reverse flow entry in the flow table if the look up results in a miss, the forward flow entry indicating a routing lookup, and the reverse flow entry indicating a previous hop from which the packet was received to maintain a bi-directional flow stickiness. Some embodiments also include receiving another packet from the destination address outside the network destined to the source address in the network, and forwarding it to the previous hop listed in the reverse flow entry.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to detect a misconfigured duplicate Internet Protocol (IP) address in a distributed data center network fabric. A network topology is provided that includes a plurality of network elements. A network element receives a configuration message comprising an IP address from a first host associated with the first network element. The IP address is detected to already be in use by a second host associated with a second network element. A request message is provided to the second network element, the request message configured to cause the second network element to attempt to contact the second host. A reply message is received from the second network element. If the reply message indicates that the second host exists at the second network element, an indication of a misconfiguration event is generated. Otherwise, the IP address is associated with the first host.

Abstract: A housing for a thermostat includes a body, a cavity, at least one director member and at least one retainer member. The body defines an enclosure that receives coolant fluid. The enclosure is in fluid communication with a pump that pumps the coolant fluid to a sink for dissipating heat extracted by the coolant fluid. The cavity configured on body receives and holds thermostat that determines temperature of coolant fluid. The director member is configured on at least one internal wall of the enclosure and defines flow path of the coolant fluid so as to direct coolant fluid to thermostat and facilitate sufficient contact between coolant fluid and thermostat and the retainer member configured on the body is disposed around thermostat to prevent the coolant fluid from bypassing of the thermostat, thereby retaining coolant fluid in contact with thermostat to ensure precise sensing of temperature by the thermostat.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes building an address resolution cache for a layer-3 router in a first layer-2 datacenter, where the address resolution cache includes a plurality of entries, each of the entries containing a host network address, a host hardware address, and a switch identifier for a switch serving a host, intercepting an address resolution flood within the first layer-2 datacenter that seeks address resolution for a host in a second layer-2 datacenter, and generating a response to the address resolution flood that indicates a source in the second layer-2 datacenter, where data indicating the source in the second layer-2 datacenter is accessed from the address resolution cache.