Abstract: Methods and systems for active-standby switchover are disclosed. Embodiments of the present technology may include a method for operating a network with active and standby host nodes that involves transmitting a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) route advertisement message from the standby host node, the BGP route advertisement message including route information and a community tag that is indicative of a graceful attract community, receiving the BGP route advertisement message at leaf nodes and spine nodes of the network, wherein the leaf nodes and the spine nodes assign higher BGP preference to the route information in the BGP route advertisement message in response to identifying the community tag in the BGP route advertisement message as being indicative of a graceful attract community, and transmitting a BGP route withdraw message from the active host node after the BGP route advertisement message is transmitted from the standby host node.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a process and system for avoiding temporary traffic loss in a network having first and second computers and provider edge devices, by retaining, in each provider edge device, path information including a MAC address for the first host computer in a control plane as a dynamic address, and maintaining, in each provider edge device, its own routing table listing network addresses of the other provider edge devices as multi-homed peers. A failure recovery process in each provider edge devices advertises all multi-homed peer network addresses as addresses that each respective provider edge device has dynamically learnt in the control plane such that when a provider edge device receives a route with a locally connected host, it re-advertises the host address on its own.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a process and system for avoiding temporary traffic loss in a network having first and second computers and provider edge devices, by retaining, in each provider edge device, path information including a MAC address for the first host computer in a control plane as a dynamic address, and maintaining, in each provider edge device, its own routing table listing network addresses of the other provider edge devices as multi-homed peers. A failure recovery process in each provider edge devices advertises all multi-homed peer network addresses as addresses that each respective provider edge device has dynamically learnt in the control plane such that when a provider edge device receives a route with a locally connected host, it re-advertises the host address on its own.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a process and system for recovering from data link failure in a network, by retaining, in a first provider edge device, path information for a first host coupled to a second host over the network in a control plane, upon indication of withdrawal of the first host from a second provider edge device, starting a timer controlling a period of re-advertisement and re-routing to the first host, removing, in the first provider edge device, the first host from a data plane, and generating, in the first provider edge device, a new route to advertise the first host address to cause other provider edge devices to receive the new route and adjust their respective control plane routes prior to expiration of the timer.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a process and system for optimizing traffic paths for orphaned hosts in a VXLAN system, by configuring virtual link trunking (VLT) peers to advertise MAC addresses learned from all multi-homed hosts in the system using Anycast VXLAN tunnel endpoint-Internet Protocol address (VTEP-IP); configuring the virtual link trunking (VLT) peers to advertise MAC addresses learned from all single-homed hosts in the system using a secondary VTEP-IP; directing unicast traffic destined to the single-homed hosts to directly connected VLT peers using the Secondary VTEP-IP; and directing Broadcast, unknown unicast, and multi-cast (BUM) traffic destined to the single-homed hosts to directly connected VLT peers using the Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag route.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a process and system for optimizing traffic paths for orphaned hosts in a VXLAN system, by configuring virtual link trunking (VLT) peers to advertise MAC addresses learned from all multi-homed hosts in the system using Anycast VXLAN tunnel endpoint-Internet Protocol address (VTEP-IP); configuring the virtual link trunking (VLT) peers to advertise MAC addresses learned from all single-homed hosts in the system using a secondary VTEP-IP; directing unicast traffic destined to the single-homed hosts to directly connected VLT peers using the Secondary VTEP-IP; and directing Broadcast, unknown unicast, and multi-cast (BUM) traffic destined to the single-homed hosts to directly connected VLT peers using the Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag route.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a process and system for recovering from data link failure in a network, by retaining, in a first provider edge device, path information for a first host coupled to a second host over the network in a control plane, upon indication of withdrawal of the first host from a second provider edge device, starting a timer controlling a period of re-advertisement and re-routing to the first host, removing, in the first provider edge device, the first host from a data plane, and generating, in the first provider edge device, a new route to advertise the first host address to cause other provider edge devices to receive the new route and adjust their respective control plane routes prior to expiration of the timer.

Abstract: A system and method for multicast routing using peer groups includes a router. The router includes a control unit and a memory coupled to the control unit. The memory stores one or more first multicast routing entries. The control unit is configured to receive a multicast packet on an input interface, determine one or more properties of the multicast packet, determine one or more output interfaces based on the properties and the first multicast routing entries, and forward copies of the multicast packet on each of the output interfaces. The router is configured to be coupled to a peer router via an inter-chassis link (ICL). The first multicast routing entries include one or more second multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the router and one or more third multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the peer router.

Abstract: A system and method for multicast routing using peer groups includes a router. The router includes a control unit and a memory coupled to the control unit. The memory stores one or more first multicast routing entries. The control unit is configured to receive a multicast packet on an input interface, determine one or more properties of the multicast packet, determine one or more output interfaces based on the properties and the first multicast routing entries, and forward copies of the multicast packet on each of the output interfaces. The router is configured to be coupled to a peer router via an inter-chassis link (ICL). The first multicast routing entries include one or more second multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the router and one or more third multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the peer router.

Abstract: A system and method of configuration of link aggregation groups includes a control unit and a port coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the network switching device to a neighboring switch. The control unit is configured to transmit a probe message to the neighboring switch, receive a remote switch identifier and link aggregation group (LAG) identifier from the neighboring switch, determine whether the remote switch identifier matches a previously received remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier matches a previously received remote LAG identifier. When both match, determine a first LAG associated with the previously received remote switch identifier and the previously received remote LAG identifier and assign the port to the first LAG. When both do not match, to create a second LAG, assign the port to the second LAG, and associate the remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier with the second LAG.

Abstract: A system and method for multicast routing using peer groups includes a router. The router includes a control unit and a memory coupled to the control unit. The memory stores one or more first multicast routing entries. The control unit is configured to receive a multicast packet on an input interface, determine one or more properties of the multicast packet, determine one or more output interfaces based on the properties and the first multicast routing entries, and forward copies of the multicast packet on each of the output interfaces. The router is configured to be coupled to a peer router via an inter-chassis link (ICL). The first multicast routing entries include one or more second multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the router and one or more third multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the peer router.

Abstract: A system and method for multicast routing using peer groups includes a router. The router includes a control unit and a memory coupled to the control unit. The memory stores one or more first multicast routing entries. The control unit is configured to receive a multicast packet on an input interface, determine one or more properties of the multicast packet, determine one or more output interfaces based on the properties and the first multicast routing entries, and forward copies of the multicast packet on each of the output interfaces. The router is configured to be coupled to a peer router via an inter-chassis link (ICL). The first multicast routing entries include one or more second multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the router and one or more third multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the peer router.

Abstract: A system and method for rapid peer node failure detection including a network switching unit that includes a network processing unit configured to receive and forward network traffic using one or more ports, a host CPU coupled to the network processing unit and configured to manage the network processing unit, a link controller coupled to the host CPU and configured to couple the network switching unit to a peer network switching unit using a management link, and a baseboard management controller (BMC) coupled to the host CPU and the link controller. The link controller is separate and independent from the network processing unit. The BMC is configured to monitor the host CPU and the network switching unit, detect a failure in the network switching unit, and notify the peer network switching unit of the detected failure using the management link.

Abstract: A system and method of configuration of link aggregation groups includes a control unit and a port coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the network switching device to a neighboring switch. The control unit is configured to transmit a probe message to the neighboring switch, receive a remote switch identifier and link aggregation group (LAG) identifier from the neighboring switch, determine whether the remote switch identifier matches a previously received remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier matches a previously received remote LAG identifier. When both match, determine a first LAG associated with the previously received remote switch identifier and the previously received remote LAG identifier and assign the port to the first LAG. When both do not match, to create a second LAG, assign the port to the second LAG, and associate the remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier with the second LAG.

Abstract: In a telecommunications network, loops are eliminated by deactivation of ports of data forwarding systems (130). When a port becomes active, topology change notifications are sent, and forwarding databases (204, 220) may have to be flushed. In some embodiments, a port may become active faster, without flushing and without topology change notifications. Other features and embodiments are also provided.

Abstract: A system and method of configuration of link aggregation groups includes a control unit and a port coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the network switching device to a neighboring switch. The control unit is configured to transmit a probe message to the neighboring switch, receive a remote switch identifier and link aggregation group (LAG) identifier from the neighboring switch, determine whether the remote switch identifier matches a previously received remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier matches a previously received remote LAG identifier. When both match, determine a first LAG associated with the previously received remote switch identifier and the previously received remote LAG identifier and assign the port to the first LAG. When both do not match, to create a second LAG, assign the port to the second LAG, and associate the remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier with the second LAG.

Abstract: A system and method for link failure handling includes detecting a failure in a first network connection between a first network switching unit and a second network switching unit, where the first network connection is associated with a first communication port of the first network switching unit; suspending the first communication port from a link aggregation group (LAG), where the first communication port is associated with the LAG; and associating one or more first inter-chassis link (ICL) ports with the LAG. The first ICL ports are associated with a first ICL coupling the first network switching unit to a third network switching unit. The first network switching unit and the third network switching unit are peers.

Abstract: A system and method of configuration of link aggregation groups includes a control unit and a port coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the network switching device to a neighboring switch. The control unit is configured to transmit a probe message to the neighboring switch, receive a remote switch identifier and link aggregation group (LAG) identifier from the neighboring switch, determine whether the remote switch identifier matches a previously received remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier matches a previously received remote LAG identifier. When both match, determine a first LAG associated with the previously received remote switch identifier and the previously received remote LAG identifier and assign the port to the first LAG. When both do not match, to create a second LAG, assign the port to the second LAG, and associate the remote switch identifier and the remote LAG identifier with the second LAG.

Abstract: In a telecommunications network, loops are eliminated by deactivation of ports of data forwarding systems (130). When a port becomes active, topology change notifications are sent, and forwarding databases (204, 220) may have to be flushed. In some embodiments, a port may become active faster, without flushing and without topology change notifications. Other features and embodiments are also provided.

Abstract: A system and method for link failure handling includes detecting a failure in a first network connection between a first network switching unit and a second network switching unit, where the first network connection is associated with a first communication port of the first network switching unit; suspending the first communication port from a link aggregation group (LAG), where the first communication port is associated with the LAG; and associating one or more first inter-chassis link (ICL) ports with the LAG. The first ICL ports are associated with a first ICL coupling the first network switching unit to a third network switching unit. The first network switching unit and the third network switching unit are peers.