Abstract: In one embodiment a network device includes a plurality of ports. The network device is adapted to receive at least one configuring instruction, and adapted, after receipt of any of the at least one configuring instruction, to configure one or more access ports, of the plurality of ports, for endpoint virtual local area network (VLAN) assignment that is in accordance with at least one VLAN assignment algorithm. The at least one VLAN assignment algorithm allows at least two endpoints to be assigned to at least two different respective VLANs of a plurality of VLANs in a network, the at least one VLAN assignment algorithm enabling the at least two endpoints to connect to a same access port of the one or more access ports and provide data which is not VLAN tagged when received at the same access port.

Abstract: Address support and network address transparency may be provided. First, a border device may receive a processed network configuration parameter request having an address of a subnet to which a client device is associated and information data in an information field of the network configuration parameter request. The information data may comprise an address of a network device and an identifier of the subnet to which the client device is associated. Next, the border device may encapsulate the processed network configuration parameter request with the information data extracted from the processed network configuration parameter request. The border device may then forward the encapsulated network configuration parameter response to the network device.

Abstract: The embodiments herein push notifications to network devices used by a shared service to which a roaming host in a network fabric is subscribed. For example, a network fabric controller can access a VN policy table which stores the relationships between the virtual networks in the network fabric. Using this table, the controller can identify what shared service VNs (i.e., extranets) can communicate with the host's VN. The controller can push out notifications to the network devices used by the shared service VNs to store the new location of the host. That is, the network devices that locally store a location of the host can update their routing caches to point to the new location of the host. In this manner, the network fabric can reduce the time needed to reconverge on the new location of the host by updating the network devices used by the shared service VNs.

Abstract: A method including determining that network traffic being transmitted is unicast or multicast; mapping to which virtual network and locator address each host belongs; generating leaking data for unicast and multicast traffic, wherein the leaking data indicates that a first virtual network leaks traffic to a second virtual network; receiving a request from the second virtual network to receive traffic from a host in the first virtual network; determining, based on the leaking data and the type of traffic being transmitted, if the first virtual network leaks traffic to the second virtual network; if the first virtual network leaks traffic to the second virtual network, determining a locator address for the host in the first virtual network using the mapping data; and transmitting the locator address for the host to the second virtual network to enable traffic leaking from the host to the second virtual network is disclosed.

Abstract: Semantic checking of multi-device and protocol configurations based on an extensible rules database for a variety of devices and operating systems may be provided. First, a configuration may be received. Then parent-child hierarchical relationships in the configuration may be determined. Next, a set of rules may be applied to the configuration based upon the determined parent-child hierarchical relationships. A report of errors found and corrective suggestions may then be produced in response to applying the set of rules.

Abstract: Client address based forwarding of dynamic host configuration protocol response packets may be provided. First, a first relay agent on a first network device may receive a first discovery message associated with a first client device. The first discovery message may include a first discovery message identifier field comprising a first identifier corresponding to the first client device. The first client device may be associated with a subnet. Then the first relay agent may register, with a map server, the first identifier with an address of the first network device and add a gateway address corresponding to the first relay agent to the first discovery message. Next, the first relay agent may encapsulate the first discovery message and forward the encapsulated first discovery message over a network to a border device.

Abstract: Fast roaming across a network fabric may be provided. A route device may receive location information corresponding to a client device in response to roaming by the client device from a first access point connected to a first network device to a second access point connected to a second network device. The first network device and the second network device may comprise fabric edge nodes on the fabric network. The first network device and the second network device may be ones of a plurality of network devices in the fabric network. On detecting the roaming of the client device, the route device may be updated with the new location, and then the route device may send, to the plurality of network devices in the fabric network, the location information corresponding to the client device.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for virtual expansion of a fabric network edge to include edge network devices. For example, unique virtual Internet Protocol (IP) addresses may be assigned to a plurality of L2 switches, wherein the L2 switches are connected to one or more fabric edge devices in a fabric, and wherein the L2 switches are located outside of the fabric. Next, the unique virtual IP addresses may be announced in an underlay of the fabric.

Abstract: In one embodiment, contextual service mobility in an enterprise fabric network environment (e.g., overlay and underlay networks) provides for moving of the location of a service being applied to packets with minimal updates to the mapping database. The mapping database is used to convert addresses of the overlay network to physical network and service addresses. The mapping database provides contextual lookup operations on the same destination address of a packet being forwarded in the overlay network to provide different results. The contextual lookup operations provide for a packet to be forwarded to a service node or its intended destination depending on the current context. In one embodiment, the enterprise fabric network uses Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP), a network architecture and set of protocols that uses different overlay and underlay namespaces and a distributed mapping database for converting an overlay address to an underlay address.

Abstract: In one embodiment, contextual service mobility in an enterprise fabric network environment (e.g., overlay and underlay networks) provides for moving of the location of a service being applied to packets with minimal updates to the mapping database. The mapping database is used to convert addresses of the overlay network to physical network and service addresses. The mapping database provides contextual lookup operations on the same destination address of a packet being forwarded in the overlay network to provide different results. The contextual lookup operations provide for a packet to be forwarded to a service node or its intended destination depending on the current context. In one embodiment, the enterprise fabric network uses Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP), a network architecture and set of protocols that uses different overlay and underlay namespaces and a distributed mapping database for converting an overlay address to an underlay address.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for virtual expansion of a fabric network edge to include edge network devices. For example, unique virtual Internet Protocol (IP) addresses may be assigned to a plurality of L2 switches, wherein the L2 switches are connected to one or more fabric edge devices in a fabric, and wherein the L2 switches are located outside of the fabric. Next, the unique virtual IP addresses may be announced in an underlay of the fabric.

Abstract: According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided to allow efficient switching of frames for transmission between a Layer 2 Virtual Local Area Network such as a Metro Ethernet Network and an external network. Reserved inner tags are used to identify particular services. In one example, inner tags allow mapping of frames associated with a particular subnetwork onto a particular virtual circuit associated with an ATM network.

Abstract: A technique transfers data between geographically dispersed entities belonging to a virtual-local-area network (VLAN). According to the technique, geographically dispersed entities communicate via software-defined virtual ports that “appear” as physical ports to the entities. Each virtual port, in turn, is associated with one or more connections wherein each connection may be associated with one or more VLANs. Data generated on a particular VLAN that is destined for a remote entity is forwarded to a virtual port which, in turn, transfers the data to the remote entity over the connection associated with the VLAN. Moreover, state is maintained at each virtual port for each connection, thereby enabling the virtual ports to support various protocols that operate with physical ports.

Abstract: A lock controller supports both blocking and non-blocking lock requests issued by processors of a processing engine when attempting to access a shared resource of an intermediate network device. The non-blocking lock controller capability provides a processor with the flexibility to obtain other shared resources if the originally requested resource is not available. The blocking capability of the lock controller guarantees that each processor will eventually obtain the requested resource. By supporting both blocking and non-blocking capabilities, the lock controller provides increased flexibility and performance to the processors of the processing engine.

Abstract: According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided to allow efficient switching of frames for transmission between a Layer 2 Virtual Local Area Network such as a Metro Ethernet Network and an external network. Reserved inner tags are used to identify particular services. In one example, inner tags allow mapping of frames associated with a particular subnetwork onto a particular virtual circuit associated with an ATM network.