Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing n-way gateway load-balancing in a fabric path switching Systems (FSS), such as a layer 2 multipath (L2MP) network in a large data center. An access switch in a L2MP network may learn an emulated switch IDs through FHRP “hello” messages sent by an “active” gateway router for each FHRP group. Further, the access switch may learn which links an emulated switch is reachable over by evaluating link state messages (e.g., IS-IS messages) sent by the gateway routers used to construct the emulated switch. Doing so allows the access switch to learn both the ID of an emulated switch and a set of links over which the emulated switch may be reached, thereby allowing the access switch to load balance traffic to the emulated switch.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing n-way gateway load-balancing in a fabric path switching Systems (FSS), such as a layer 2 multipath (L2MP) network in a large data center. An access switch in a L2MP network may learn an emulated switch IDs through FHRP “hello” messages sent by an “active” gateway router for each FHRP group. Further, the access switch may learn which links an emulated switch is reachable over by evaluating link state messages (e.g., IS-IS messages) sent by the gateway routers used to construct the emulated switch. Doing so allows the access switch to learn both the ID of an emulated switch and a set of links over which the emulated switch may be reached, thereby allowing the access switch to load balance traffic to the emulated switch.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises assigning, by a distributed gateway protocol circuit in a first network switching device, a shared Media Access Control (MAC) address to a shared Internet Protocol (IP) address, the shared MAC address and the shared IP address enabling connected network devices to reach a distributed IP gateway in a network; and sending, by a layer 2 forwarding circuit in the first network switching device, an instruction via a peer data link to a peer layer 2 forwarding circuit in a second network switching device in response to the distributed gateway protocol circuit claiming active control of the distributed IP gateway, the instruction enabling the second network switching device to operate as part of the distributed IP gateway based on concurrent use of the shared MAC address and the shared IP address by the first network switching device and the second network switching device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises assigning, by a distributed gateway protocol circuit in a first network switching device, a shared Media Access Control (MAC) address to a shared Internet Protocol (IP) address, the shared MAC address and the shared IP address enabling connected network devices to reach a distributed IP gateway in a network; and sending, by a layer 2 forwarding circuit in the first network switching device, an instruction via a peer data link to a peer layer 2 forwarding circuit in a second network switching device in response to the distributed gateway protocol circuit claiming active control of the distributed IP gateway, the instruction enabling the second network switching device to operate as part of the distributed IP gateway based on concurrent use of the shared MAC address and the shared IP address by the first network switching device and the second network switching device.