Abstract: A port monitoring system includes a first extending device. The first extending device includes a monitored port and a networking port. The first extending device is configured to detect a first packet at the monitored port and, in response, generate a mirrored packet. Then the first extending device adds a monitoring identifier to the mirrored packet and forwards the mirrored packet through the networking port. The port monitoring system also includes a networking device that is coupled to the first extending device. The networking device is configured to receive the mirrored packet from the first extending device and determine that the mirrored packet is associated with a monitoring port using the monitoring identifier provided by the mirrored packet. The networking device then forwards the mirrored packet to the monitoring port.

Abstract: A layer 3 routing loop prevention system includes a port extender coupled to a first and second control bridges by a Link Aggregation Group (LAG). The first and second control bridges are coupled by an interchassis link. When the first control bridge receives a packet and determines that its LAG link to the port extender is unavailable, it provides a control bridge failover identifier in the packet and performs layer 3 forwarding to send the packet to the second control bridge over the interchassis link. When the second control bridge receives the packet though the interchassis link and determines that its LAG link to the port extender is unavailable, that the packet includes the first control bridge failover identifier, and that layer 3 forwarding will result in the packet being sent back to the first control bridge device, the packet is dropped to prevent layer 3 routing loops.

Abstract: A system and method of failure detection in rings includes a switch including a control unit, one or more first ports coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the switch to a ring of switches in a first direction, and one or more second ports coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the switch to the ring of switches in a second direction opposite the first direction. The control unit is configured to detect a failure in the ring of switches in the second direction, transmit a request message in the first direction using one of the one or more first ports, receive a response message on one of the one or more first ports, extract reachability data from the response message, and determine one or more first switches in the ring of switches that are reachable in the first direction based on information associated with the reachability data.

Abstract: A system and method includes a first switching device that includes a first control unit with a first and third port coupled to the first control unit and a second switching device that includes a second control unit with the a second port coupled to the second control unit. The system and method may include a network link coupling the first and second switching devices. The first control unit configured to receive a data packet and adding a drop indication. The second control unit configured to detect the drop indication. In some embodiments the first control unit is configured to apply a rule, and mark a data packet with a drop indication in a header, the header being a header normally attached to the data packet. The second switching device may interpret the drop indication with a set of rules to determine a course of action.

Abstract: A first switch forms first and second LAGs and a main LAG comprising the first and second LAGs as sub-LAGs. Forming the first and second LAGs comprises receiving LACP data units which indicate that the first switch is connected to second and third switches through first and second pluralities of ports, and forming the first LAG of the first plurality of ports and the second LAG of the second plurality of ports. The second and third switches share a control plane. In forming the first and second LAGs, LACP data units are received from the second and third switches and include unique identifiers of the second and third switches respectively. Forming the main LAG comprises receiving one or more LACP data units which indicate that the first and second plurality of ports are to be part of the main LAG, and forming the main LAG based on such LACP data units. Other features are also provided.

Abstract: A layer 3 routing loop prevention system includes a port extender coupled to a first and second control bridges by a LAG. The first and second control bridges are coupled by an interchassis link. When the first control bridge receives a packet and determines that its LAG link to the port extender is unavailable, it provides a control bridge failover identifier in the packet and performs layer 3 forwarding to send the packet to the second control bridge over the interchassis link. When the second control bridge receives the packet though the interchassis link and determines that its LAG link to the port extender is unavailable, that the packet includes the first control bridge failover identifier, and that layer 3 forwarding will result in the packet being sent back to the first control bridge device, the packet is dropped to prevent layer 3 routing loops.

Abstract: A port monitoring system includes a first extending device. The first extending device includes a monitored port and a networking port. The first extending device is configured to detect a first packet at the monitored port and, in response, generate a mirrored packet. Then the first extending device adds a monitoring identifier to the mirrored packet and forwards the mirrored packet through the networking port. The port monitoring system also includes a networking device that is coupled to the first extending device. The networking device is configured to receive the mirrored packet from the first extending device and determine that the mirrored packet is associated with a monitoring port using the monitoring identifier provided by the mirrored packet. The networking device then forwards the mirrored packet to the monitoring port.

Abstract: A system and method includes a first switching device that includes a first control unit with a first and third port coupled to the first control unit and a second switching device that includes a second control unit with the a second port coupled to the second control unit. The system and method may include a network link coupling the first and second switching devices. The first control unit configured to receive a data packet and adding a drop indication. The second control unit configured to detect the drop indication. In some embodiments the first control unit is configured to apply a rule, and mark a data packet with a drop indication in a header, the header being a header normally attached to the data packet. The second switching device may interpret the drop indication with a set of rules to determine a course of action.

Abstract: A port provision system includes a packet network device having a plurality of ports. A port provisioning system is coupled to the packet network device. The port provisioning system obtains configuration information from a host device coupled to the packet network device. The configuration information includes a virtual network identification assigned to a virtual machine included on the host device. The port provisioning system then retrieves packet information from a packet sent form the host device. The port provisioning system then provisions at least one of the plurality of ports with the virtual network identification included in the configuration information in response to determining that the packet information matches the configuration information.

Abstract: A system and method of failure detection in rings includes a switch including a control unit, one or more first ports coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the switch to a ring of switches in a first direction, and one or more second ports coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the switch to the ring of switches in a second direction opposite the first direction. The control unit is configured to detect a failure in the ring of switches in the second direction, transmit a request message in the first direction using one of the one or more first ports, receive a response message on one of the one or more first ports, extract reachability data from the response message, and determine one or more first switches in the ring of switches that are reachable in the first direction based on information associated with the reachability data.

Abstract: An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes a first switch that has a computer processor in communication with a plurality of ports for receiving and sending packets and a memory including a look-up table. The look-up table associates at least some of the plurality of ports with a group of link aggregation groups (LAGs) such that an incoming packet is received by the first switch as belonging to a first LAG of the group of LAGs and an outgoing packet is sent out from the switch as belonging to either the first LAG or a second LAG of the group of LAGs depending on a type of the outgoing packet. Methods for forming and using a group of LAGs to reduce traffic on interconnect links are also provided.

Abstract: A network switch is comprised of a control processor and one or more line cards. The control processor includes functionality to register interest with a hypervisor, operating in conjunction with a network host connected to the switch, in data object attributes maintained on the network host by the hypervisor. The hypervisor associated with the network host sends changes in the host attributes to the switch which the switch maintains in a listing of attributes. The switch traps and copies particular packets to the switch control processor where a provisioning function operates on the attribute information in the list with source information included in the packet header in order to configure a forwarding table on the line card.

Abstract: A network switch is comprised of a control processor and one or more line cards. The control processor includes functionality to register interest with a hypervisor, operating in conjunction with a network host connected to the switch, in data object attributes maintained on the network host by the hypervisor. The hypervisor associated with the network host sends changes in the host attributes to the switch which the switch maintains in a listing of attributes. The switch traps and copies particular packets to the switch control processor where a provisioning function operates on the attribute information in the list with source information included in the packet header in order to configure a forwarding table on the line card.

Abstract: A network switch is comprised of a control processor and one or more line cards. The control processor includes functionality to register interest with a hypervisor, operating in conjunction with a network host connected to the switch, in data object attributes maintained on the network host by the hypervisor. The hypervisor associated with the network host sends changes in the host attributes to the switch which the switch maintains in a listing of attributes. The switch traps and copies particular packets to the switch control processor where a provisioning function operates on the attribute information in the list with source information included in the packet header in order to configure a forwarding table on the line card.