Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a packet processor and a spanning tree management module. The packet processor obtains information associated with a spanning tree from a message. The spanning tree management module, in response to the obtained information being superior to locally available information of the spanning tree, determines the port role of a local port of the switch for the spanning tree to be the root port and the port state of the local port for the spanning tree to be blocking.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises one or more ports and a link management module. The link management module operates a first aggregate link group as an active aggregate link group of a protected virtual link aggregation. This protected virtual link aggregation operates as a single logical channel. An aggregate link group comprises a plurality of logically aggregated links. The first aggregate link group, which represents the logical channel, comprises at least a first port of the one or more ports of the switch. The link management module also operates a second aggregate link group of the protected virtual link aggregation as a standby for the first aggregate link group. The second aggregate link group comprises at least a second port of the one or more ports of the switch. Forwarding is enabled via the first port and disabled via the second port.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a packet processor and a spanning tree management module. The packet processor obtains information associated with a spanning tree from a message. The spanning tree management module, in response to the obtained information being superior to locally available information of the spanning tree, determines the port role of a local port of the switch for the spanning tree to be the root port and the port state of the local port for the spanning tree to be blocking.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises a plurality of ports, a link management module, a forwarding module, and a link adaptation module. The link management module operates at least two ports of the plurality of ports of the switch to form a link aggregation. This link aggregation operates as a single logical channel. The forwarding module determines an egress port for a packet among the ports participating in the link aggregation based on a distribution policy. The link adaptation module detects an imbalance of the respective link utilizations among links of the link aggregation based on one or more imbalance criteria, and applies one or more corrective actions to the distribution policy.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a packet processor and a spanning tree management module. The packet processor obtains information associated with a spanning tree from a message. The spanning tree management module, in response to the obtained information being superior to locally available information of the spanning tree, determines the port role of a local port of the switch for the spanning tree to be the root port and the port state of the local port for the spanning tree to be blocking.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a forwarding domain apparatus and a forwarding apparatus. The forwarding domain apparatus maintains a mapping between a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and a first global VLAN identifier in a local storage device. The global VLAN identifier represents a layer-2 forwarding domain in the network and is distinct from a customer VLAN or a service-provider VLAN. The mapping is independent of a type of the VLAN identifier. During operation, the forwarding apparatus encapsulates a first packet belonging to the first VLAN in a network encapsulation header. The encapsulated packet is forwardable in the network based on the network encapsulation header. The forwarding apparatus includes the first global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header of the first packet.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises one or more ports and a link management module. The link management module operates a first aggregate link group as an active aggregate link group of a protected virtual link aggregation. This protected virtual link aggregation operates as a single logical channel. An aggregate link group comprises a plurality of logically aggregated links. The first aggregate link group, which represents the logical channel, comprises at least a first port of the one or more ports of the switch. The link management module also operates a second aggregate link group of the protected virtual link aggregation as a standby for the first aggregate link group. The second aggregate link group comprises at least a second port of the one or more ports of the switch. Forwarding is enabled via the first port and disabled via the second port.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises one or more ports and a link management module. The link management module operates a first aggregate link group as an active aggregate link group of a protected virtual link aggregation. This protected virtual link aggregation operates as a single logical channel. An aggregate link group comprises a plurality of logically aggregated links. The first aggregate link group, which represents the logical channel, comprises at least a first port of the one or more ports of the switch. The link management module also operates a second aggregate link group of the protected virtual link aggregation as a standby for the first aggregate link group. The second aggregate link group comprises at least a second port of the one or more ports of the switch. Forwarding is enabled via the first port and disabled via the second port.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a forwarding domain apparatus and a forwarding apparatus. The forwarding domain apparatus maintains a mapping between a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and a first global VLAN identifier in a local storage device. The global VLAN identifier represents a layer-2 forwarding domain in the network and is distinct from a customer VLAN or a service-provider VLAN. The mapping is independent of a type of the VLAN identifier. During operation, the forwarding apparatus encapsulates a first packet belonging to the first VLAN in a network encapsulation header. The encapsulated packet is forwardable in the network based on the network encapsulation header. The forwarding apparatus includes the first global VLAN identifier in the network encapsulation header of the first packet.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a packet processor and a spanning tree management module. The packet processor obtains information associated with a spanning tree from a message. The spanning tree management module, in response to the obtained information being superior to locally available information of the spanning tree, determines the port role of a local port of the switch for the spanning tree to be the root port and the port state of the local port for the spanning tree to be blocking.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises one or more ports and a link management module. The link management module operates a first aggregate link group as an active aggregate link group of a protected virtual link aggregation. This protected virtual link aggregation operates as a single logical channel. An aggregate link group comprises a plurality of logically aggregated links. The first aggregate link group, which represents the logical channel, comprises at least a first port of the one or more ports of the switch. The link management module also operates a second aggregate link group of the protected virtual link aggregation as a standby for the first aggregate link group. The second aggregate link group comprises at least a second port of the one or more ports of the switch. Forwarding is enabled via the first port and disabled via the second port.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises a plurality of ports, a link management module, a forwarding module, and a link adaptation module. The link management module operates at least two ports of the plurality of ports of the switch to form a link aggregation. This link aggregation operates as a single logical channel. The forwarding module determines an egress port for a packet among the ports participating in the link aggregation based on a distribution policy. The link adaptation module detects an imbalance of the respective link utilizations among links of the link aggregation based on one or more imbalance criteria, and applies one or more corrective actions to the distribution policy.