Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a buffer memory, at least one ingress port, at least one egress port, at least one processor, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the at least one processor, the logic being configured to communicate with a software-defined network (SDN) controller, store one or more look-up tables in a first portion of the buffer memory, receive a packet using an ingress port, and determine an egress port for the packet. In another embodiment, a method for switching packets in a SDN includes storing one or more look-up tables in a first portion of a buffer memory of a SDN-capable switching device, receiving a packet using an ingress port of the switching device, and determining an egress port for the packet.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware processor and logic implemented with and/or executable by the processor to determine that expiration of a timer has occurred, and in response to expiration of the timer, import entries from a media access control (MAC) address table stored by a switch controller into a MAC address table stored by a switch until the MAC address table stored by the switch is full, where the logic to import entries includes logic to import entries in the MAC address table stored by the switch controller determined to be more often used into the MAC address table stored by the switch before entries determined to be less often used.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a buffer memory, at least one ingress port, at least one egress port, at least one processor, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the at least one processor, the logic being configured to communicate with a software-defined network (SDN) controller, store one or more look-up tables in a first portion of the buffer memory, receive a packet using an ingress port, and determine an egress port for the packet. In another embodiment, a method for switching packets in a SDN includes storing one or more look-up tables in a first portion of a buffer memory of a SDN-capable switching device, receiving a packet using an ingress port of the switching device, and determining an egress port for the packet.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a buffer memory, ingress ports, egress ports, at least one processor, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the at least one processor. The logic is configured to communicate with a software-defined network (SDN) controller, store a look-up table in a first portion of the buffer memory, receive a packet using an ingress port of the apparatus, start an egress timer upon receipt of the packet, process the packet in order to finish processing prior to the egress timer expiring, determine an egress port for the packet, determine a packet size from information in a header of the packet when packet size information is available in the header, begin to route the packet via the egress port once the egress port is determined, and send the packet to the egress port upon expiration of the egress timer without further processing.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a switch controller in communication with a plurality of switches in a switch cluster via a communication protocol. The switch controller includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to receive an address resolution protocol (ARP) request packet as a unicast packet from an entry switch in the switch cluster, the entry switch being connected to a first host. The logic is also configured to cause the processor to send an ARP response packet as a unicast packet to the entry switch. The ARP response packet indicates a media access control (MAC) address of the switch controller as a source MAC (SMAC) for the ARP response packet, and an internet protocol (IP) address of a virtual router of the switch controller as being a source of the ARP response packet.

Abstract: A first cluster includes first switching devices that are compatible with a software-defined networking (SDN) protocol. A second cluster includes second switching devices within or partially within overlapping the first cluster. Each second switching device is compatible with a protocol for an open systems interconnection (OSI) model layer. The first switching devices include one or more border switching devices located at a boundary between the first cluster and the second cluster. Each border switching device is also compatible with the protocol for the OSI model layer. The first switching devices effect first multipathing through the network except through the second cluster, and the second switching devices effect second multipathing just through the second cluster of the network. As such, the first switching devices and the second switching devices together effect end-to-end multipathing through both the first cluster and the second cluster of the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to receive, at a first end point station, information exchange packets from all end point stations in a virtual network having a specified VNID, process each received information exchange packet to retrieve information about connections at each end point station in the virtual network having the specified VNID, and assemble a Tunnel Information Base (TIB) for a selected tunnel end point. Each of the information exchange packets include a MAC address for all member VMs in the virtual network having the specified VNID connected to each end point station in the virtual network having the specified VNID. In addition, the TIB includes a Tunnel ID, the specified VNID, and MAC addresses of the member VMs of the virtual network having the specified VNID.

Abstract: A first cluster includes first switching devices that are compatible with a software-defined networking (SDN) protocol. A second cluster includes second switching devices within or partially within overlapping the first cluster. Each second switching device is compatible with a protocol for an open systems interconnection (OSI) model layer. The first switching devices include one or more border switching devices located at a boundary between the first cluster and the second cluster. Each border switching device is also compatible with the protocol for the OSI model layer. The first switching devices effect first multipathing through the network except through the second cluster, and the second switching devices effect second multipathing just through the second cluster of the network. As such, the first switching devices and the second switching devices together effect end-to-end multipathing through both the first cluster and the second cluster of the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a memory, a hardware processor, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to receive one or more software defined network (SDN) routes dictating a path through a network comprising a plurality of devices. The logic is also configured to store the one or more SDN routes to the memory along with one or more traditional routes learned by the apparatus and/or configured by an administrator, and indicate the one or more SDN routes as being of a type different from the traditional routes. Moreover, the logic is configured to receive a priority ordering for a plurality of routes stored in the memory from the SDN controller, the plurality of routes including at least one SDN route, and construct a route information base (RIB) based on the plurality of routes and the priority ordering.

Abstract: A first cluster includes first switching devices that are compatible with a software-defined networking (SDN) protocol. A second cluster includes second switching devices within or partially overlapping the first cluster. Each second switching device is compatible with a protocol for an open systems interconnection (OSI) model layer. The first switching devices include one or more border switching devices located at a boundary between the first cluster and the second cluster. Each border switching device is also compatible with the protocol for the OSI model layer. The first switching devices effect first multipathing through the network except through the second cluster, and the second switching devices effect second multipathing just through the second cluster of the network. As such, the first switching devices and the second switching devices together effect end-to-end multipathing through both the first cluster and the second cluster of the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to communicate with a first physical switch, a second physical switch, and an overlay network that connects the first physical switch to the second physical switch. The logic is also configured to receive a request for a communication path through the overlay network for a packet, the request including at least the packet, first information about a source of the packet, the source of the packet being connected to the first physical switch, and second information about a most closely connected physical switch to a destination of the packet. Moreover, the logic is configured to determine the destination of the packet, the destination of the packet being connected to the second physical switch. Also, the logic is configured to determine whether to apply a security policy to the packet.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a switch controller in communication with a plurality of switches in a switch cluster via a communication protocol. The switch controller includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to receive an address resolution protocol (ARP) request packet as a unicast packet from an entry switch in the switch cluster, the entry switch being connected to a first host. The logic is also configured to cause the processor to send an ARP response packet as a unicast packet to the entry switch. The ARP response packet indicates a media access control (MAC) address of the switch controller as a source MAC (SMAC) for the ARP response packet, and an internet protocol (IP) address of a virtual router of the switch controller as being a source of the ARP response packet.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to determine paths between a plurality of switches connected together in a system by performing path calculations based on a topology of the system. The logic is also configured to calculate one or more disjoint multi-paths from among the paths, the one or more disjoint multi-paths connecting a source device to a destination device. The source device is connected to a first switch of the plurality of switches, and the destination device is connected to a second switch of the plurality of switches. Moreover, the logic is configured to write the one or more disjoint multi-paths into a forwarding table of at least one device. Other systems and computer program products are presented according to more embodiments.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a buffer memory, ingress ports, egress ports, at least one processor, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the at least one processor. The logic is configured to communicate with a software-defined network (SDN) controller, store a look-up table in a first portion of the buffer memory, receive a packet using an ingress port of the apparatus, start an egress timer upon receipt of the packet, process the packet in order to finish processing prior to the egress timer expiring, determine an egress port for the packet, determine a packet size from information in a header of the packet when packet size information is available in the header, begin to route the packet via the egress port once the egress port is determined, and send the packet to the egress port upon expiration of the egress timer without further processing.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, Layer-3 (L3) distributed router functionality is provided to a switch cluster by receiving an address resolution protocol (ARP) request packet from a first host at an entry switch in a switch cluster, a switch controller being in communication with the entry switch, and the ARP request packet including a virtual router IP address of the switch controller as a target, forwarding the ARP request packet to the switch controller after adding a header that adheres to a communication protocol used by the switch controller, receiving an ARP response packet from the switch controller indicating: a source IP address corresponding to a virtual router of the switch controller and a SMAC corresponding to the switch controller, forwarding the ARP response packet to the first host after stripping the communication protocol header, and setting the virtual router as a default gateway for traffic received from the first host.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to receive, at a first end point station, information exchange packets from all end point stations in a virtual network having a specified VNID, process each received information exchange packet to retrieve information about connections at each end point station in the virtual network having the specified VNID, and assemble a Tunnel Information Base (TIB) for a selected tunnel end point. Each of the information exchange packets include a MAC address for all member VMs in the virtual network having the specified VNID connected to each end point station in the virtual network having the specified VNID. In addition, the TIB includes a Tunnel ID, the specified VNID, and MAC addresses of the member VMs of the virtual network having the specified VNID.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a buffer memory, at least one ingress port, at least one egress port, at least one processor, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the at least one processor, the logic being configured to communicate with a software-defined network (SDN) controller, store one or more look-up tables in a first portion of the buffer memory, receive a packet using an ingress port, and determine an egress port for the packet. In another embodiment, a method for switching packets in a SDN includes storing one or more took-up tables in a first portion of a buffer memory of a SDN-capable switching device, receiving a packet using an ingress port of the switching device, and determining an egress port for the packet.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes logic adapted for receiving, at a first end point station, an information exchange packet from each end point station in a virtual network having a specified virtual network identifier (VNID) and logic adapted for processing each received information exchange packet to retrieve information about connections at each end point station in the virtual network having the specified VNID, wherein each end point station either terminates or originates a tunnel shared by the first end point station in an overlay network. In this way, the information may be used to respond to address resolution protocol (ARP) requests sent locally in lieu of flooding the ARP request. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented regarding the overlay tunnel information exchange protocol, according to various embodiments.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for exchanging overlay tunnel information includes receiving an information exchange packet, at a first end point station, from each end point station in a virtual network having a specified virtual network identifier (VNID); and processing each received information exchange packet to retrieve information about connections at each end point station in the virtual network having the specified VNID, wherein each end point station either terminates or originates a tunnel shared by the first end point station in an overlay network. In this way, the information may be used to respond to address resolution protocol (ARP) requests sent locally in lieu of flooding the ARP request. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented regarding the overlay tunnel information exchange protocol, according to various embodiments.

Abstract: Each of a network fabric controller device and a network fabric forwarder devices includes network connecting hardware and network managing logic. The network connecting hardware of the devices connects them to a singly contiguous network fabric including switching devices that route data between initiator nodes and target nodes and that have routing logic programmable by the controller device. The controller device does not directly route the data themselves. The network managing logic of the devices effects multipaths for transmission of the data through the singly contiguous network fabric from the initiator node to the target nodes via programming of the routing logic of the switching devices.