Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a port to couple to a second switch. The switch also includes a control mechanism configured to maintain a set of configuration information for a virtual cluster switch which includes a number of member switches. The set of configuration information includes global configuration information for the virtual cluster switch and switch-specific configuration information for one or more member switches. In addition, the set of configuration information is replicated and stored at each member switch.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a storage device, a hardware management apparatus, and a layer-2 management apparatus. The storage device stores a forwarding table, which includes an entry comprising a MAC address and an egress port for the MAC address. The hardware management apparatus determines whether a destination MAC address of a frame is present in a hardware table in memory of the switch. The layer-2 management apparatus, in response to a determination that the destination MAC address is not present in the hardware table, looks up a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the forwarding table, and creates a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the hardware table based on the first entry.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a network device that facilitates configuration orchestration. During operation, the system interprets a configuration command and stores a data structure representing a set of business logic. The business logic can be triggered by the configuration command, a local condition, or both. Furthermore, the system configures the switch according to an outcome of the business logic.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a network extension module, which maintains a mapping between a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and a first global VLAN identifier of a network extension group. The network extension group is represented by a range of global VLAN identifiers for a tenant. A global VLAN identifier is persistent in a respective switch of the network and represents a virtual forwarding domain in the network. During operation, the network extension module includes the global VLAN identifier in a packet belonging to the first VLAN.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch system. The switch includes a port that couples to a server hosting a number of virtual machines. The switch also includes a link tracking module. During operation, the link tracking module determines that reachability to at least one end host coupled to a virtual cluster switch of which the switch is a member is disrupted. The link tracking module then determines that at least one virtual machine coupled to the port is affected by the disrupted reachability, and communicates to the server hosting the affected virtual machine about the disrupted reachability.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch that facilitates name services in a virtual cluster switch. The switch includes a name service database indicating at least one media access control (MAC) address learned at a second switch. The switch also includes a control mechanism. During operation, the control mechanism distributes information on a locally learned MAC address to the second switch. In addition, the control mechanism receives information on a MAC address learned at the second switch.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a port to couple to a second switch. The switch also includes a control mechanism configured to maintain a set of configuration information for a virtual cluster switch which includes a number of member switches. The set of configuration information includes global configuration information for the virtual cluster switch and switch-specific configuration information for one or more member switches. In addition, the set of configuration information is replicated and stored at each member switch.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a computing system. The computing system includes processing circuitry, one or more ports, a persistent storage module, and a management module. The persistent storage module stores a plurality of persistent storage instances associated with a plurality of switch groups. A respective persistent storage instance stores configuration information associated with a switch group in a data structure. The management module identifies at least two switch groups, which are associated with a logical network, from the plurality of switch groups and configures a respective virtual network representing the logical network in a respective identified switch group. The management module also maintains a mapping between a respective virtual network and the logical network.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a storage device, a hardware management apparatus, and a layer-2 management apparatus. The storage device stores a forwarding table, which includes an entry comprising a MAC address and an egress port for the MAC address. The hardware management apparatus determines whether a destination MAC address of a frame is present in a hardware table in memory of the switch. The layer-2 management apparatus, in response to a determination that the destination MAC address is not present in the hardware table, looks up a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the forwarding table, and creates a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the hardware table based on the first entry.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a network device that facilitates configuration orchestration. During operation, the system interprets a configuration command and stores a data structure representing a set of business logic. The business logic can be triggered by the configuration command, a local condition, or both. Furthermore, the system configures the switch according to an outcome of the business logic.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a network extension module, which maintains a mapping between a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and a first global VLAN identifier of a network extension group. The network extension group is represented by a range of global VLAN identifiers for a tenant. A global VLAN identifier is persistent in a respective switch of the network and represents a virtual forwarding domain in the network. During operation, the network extension module includes the global VLAN identifier in a packet belonging to the first VLAN.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch system. The switch includes a port that couples to a server hosting a number of virtual machines. The switch also includes a link tracking module. During operation, the link tracking module determines that reachability to at least one end host coupled to a virtual cluster switch of which the switch is a member is disrupted. The link tracking module then determines that at least one virtual machine coupled to the port is affected by the disrupted reachability, and communicates to the server hosting the affected virtual machine about the disrupted reachability.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a service management module and a packet processor. During operation, the service management module identifies a service provided by an appliance coupled to the switch via a local port. The packet processor constructs a notification message for a remote switch. The notification message includes information about the service and the appliance. In this way, the switch allows the remote switch to request the service.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a port to couple to a second switch. The switch also includes a control mechanism configured to maintain a set of configuration information for a virtual cluster switch which includes a number of member switches. The set of configuration information includes global configuration information for the virtual cluster switch and switch-specific configuration information for one or more member switches. In addition, the set of configuration information is replicated and stored at each member switch.

Abstract: Techniques for end-to-end network bandwidth optimization using software defined networking are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system can receive information regarding a flow to be admitted to a network, where the flow is associated with a source and a destination. The computer system can further calculate, for each path in a plurality of paths between the source and the destination, a projected utilization of the path in view of the flow. If the projected utilization of the shortest path in the plurality of paths is less than or equal to a target utilization threshold, the computer system can assign the flow to the shortest path. Otherwise, the computer system can select a path in the plurality of paths that comes closest to the target utilization threshold without exceeding the threshold and can assign the flow to that selected path.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a switch group module, a persistent storage module, and a distributed configuration management module. The switch group module maintains a membership in a switch group. The switch group includes a plurality of switches and operates as a single switch. The persistent storage module stores configuration information associated with the switch group in a table, which includes one or more columns for attribute values of the configuration information, in a local persistent storage. The distributed configuration management module verifies whether the configuration information is eligible for a distributed commit to the switch group. If the configuration information is eligible for the distributed commit, the distributed configuration management module commits the configuration information to the persistent storage and switch modules of the switch.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a packet processor and a device management module. During operation, the packet processor constructs a notification message containing a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) Routing Bridge (RBridge) identifier associated with a Fiber Channel router. The device management module operates in conjunction with the packet processor and terminates TRILL forwarding for a received TRILL packet with the RBridge identifier as an egress RBridge identifier.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch system. The switch includes one or more ports on the switch configured to transmit packets encapsulated based on a first protocol. The switch further includes a control mechanism. During operation, the control mechanism forms a logical switch based on a second protocol, receives an automatically assigned identifier for the logical switch without requiring manual configuration of the identifier, and joins a virtual cluster switch.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch system. The switch includes one or more ports on the switch configured to transmit packets encapsulated based on a first protocol. The switch further includes a control mechanism. During operation, the control mechanism forms a logical switch based on a second protocol, receives an automatically assigned identifier for the logical switch without requiring manual configuration of the identifier, and joins a virtual cluster switch.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a virtual local area network (VLAN) configuration module. During operation, the VLAN configuration module maps local resources of the switch and/or locally coupled end device information to a global VLAN identifier, wherein the global VLAN is persistent across a fabric switch. The fabric switch is operable to accommodate a plurality of switches and operates as a single logical switch.