Abstract: Methods and systems to alleviate congestion in leaf and spine network topologies. Control information may be advertised by spines regarding the leaves to which it is connected. The control information is advertised to other leaf switches connected to the advertising spine. The control information may include a destination leaf ID, an enroute spine ID, an FL flag and an FF flag. The FL flag is a “Flow Learn Flag,” that is set by the advertising spine that a leaf switch toward which the spine may be facing congestion above at a first predetermined threshold level. The FF flag is a “Flow Freeze Flag,” that is set when all links to the corresponding destination leaf identified are congested, and the congestion level has crossed a second predetermined threshold level.

Abstract: Methods and systems to alleviate congestion in leaf and spine network topologies. Control information may be advertised by spines regarding the leaves to which it is connected. The control information is advertised to other leaf switches connected to the advertising spine. The control information may include a destination leaf ID, an enroute spine ID, an FL flag and an FF flag. The FL flag is a “Flow Learn Flag,” that is set by the advertising spine that a leaf switch toward which the spine may be facing congestion above at a first predetermined threshold level. The FF flag is a “Flow Freeze Flag,” that is set when all links to the corresponding destination leaf identified are congested, and the congestion level has crossed a second predetermined threshold level.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically applying configuration settings to an interface associated with a port-profile. A script may be defined within the port-profile to configure the interface. In some implementations, a configuration may be dynamically applied to configure to an interface having a same port-profile to as multiple interfaces. A port group may be assigned to the interface, where the port group is defined by the port-profile, the port-profile defining a common set of configuration policies for the multiple interfaces. The port-profile is applied to each interface of the multiple interfaces as each interface comes online. A script inside the port-profile is specified to define aspects of the interface and executed to further configure the interface in accordance with an association of the interface with, e.g., a virtual machine.

Abstract: In accordance with on example, a control packet from a first network device is received at a second network device. The control packet comprises, embedded in a source address field of the control packet, control information for a spanning tree associated with a root network device. The control information is extracted from the source address field of the control packet in order to populate a shortest-path forwarding table. A data packet from the first network is then received by the second network device. Based on the shortest-path forwarding table and a media access control (MAC) address table, a host device to which the data packet is directed is identified. Finally, based on the information in the shortest-path forwarding table and the MAC address table, the data packet is forwarded to a network device directed connected to the host device.

Abstract: In accordance with on example, a control packet from a first network device is received at a second network device. The control packet comprises, embedded in a source address field of the control packet, control information for a spanning tree associated with a root network device. The control information is extracted from the source address field of the control packet in order to populate a shortest-path forwarding table. A data packet from the first network is then received by the second network device. Based on the shortest-path forwarding table and a media access control (MAC) address table, a host device to which the data packet is directed is identified. Finally, based on the information in the shortest-path forwarding table and the MAC address table, the data packet is forwarded to a network device directed connected to the host device.