Abstract: High availability for a network may be achieved, for example, during a hitless upgrade by creating a replica controller virtual machine of an operating controller virtual machine (source controller). The replica controller virtual machine may be on a same or different server as the source controller virtual machine. The replica controller virtual machine may be copied with processes present in the source controller virtual machine and synchronized for runtime state. Upgrades or changes to software applications run in the source controller virtual machine may be provided to the replica controller virtual machine. Once enabled, the replica controller virtual machine may be operated without suspension of the source controller virtual machine.

Abstract: To partition a distributed fabric system, at least one system port is allocated to each switching domain of multiple non-overlapping switching domains in a distributed fabric system. Multiple different look-up tables are produced, wherein each look-up table corresponds to a different switching domain of the multiple non-overlapping switching domains in the distributed fabric system. Each system port is associated with the look-up table of the multiple look-up tables that corresponds to the switching domain to which that system port is allocated. The look-up table associated with each system port has at least one table entry for each other system port allocated to the same switching domain as that system port.

Abstract: A tool for forwarding plane support in a distributed system. The tool receives, by one or more computer processors, one or more messages. The tool determines, by one or more computer processors, a distribution scope for the one or more messages. The tool determines, by one or more computer processors, a destination endpoint ID for the one or more messages. The tool sends, by one or more computer processors, the one or more messages to one or more forwarding plane agents.

Abstract: A networking system, and more particularly an interface management subsystem, offers logical interface abstraction for networking system software. The networking system generally transmits data via a hardware interface. All software components in the control and forwarding plane use a Logical Interface (LIF) that is a logical representation of the hardware interface. A mapping occurs between the LIF and hardware interface used to transmit the data. Each LIF is represented by an LIF identifier used to store and retrieve logical interface records to and from shared memory accessible to all protocols and applications in the control and forwarding plane. The efficient storage and retrieval of such logical interface records allows for a global unique view of network interfaces, avoidance of data replication in each networking system software application's memory space, etc.

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 a network having a plurality of switches and one or more devices connected to one or more of the plurality of switches, a software defined network (SDN) controller connected to one or more of the plurality of switches in the network, the SDN controller having logic integrated with and/or executable by a processor, the logic being adapted to determine SDN routes through the network between the one or more devices and each of the plurality of switches and send one or more SDN routes to each switch in the network capable of communicating with the SDN controller. In other embodiments, methods and computer program products are also described for providing SDN routes through a network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of overlay-capable devices, each overlay-capable device having an interface adapted for terminating and/or originating tunnels in an overlay network with other overlay-capable devices, logic adapted for creating statistics about overlay-encapsulated packets which are received by or sent by the overlay-capable device, logic adapted for accumulating the statistics, and logic adapted for storing the statistics in an accessible memory of the overlay-capable device. In another embodiment, a method for generating statistics about encapsulated packets within a virtual overlay network includes creating statistics about overlay-encapsulated packets which are received by or sent by each overlay-capable device in an overlay network, accumulating the statistics for each overlay-capable device through which the overlay-encapsulated packets passed, and storing the statistics in an accessible manner.

Abstract: A tool for packet transmission and delivery in a distributed system. The tool determines one or more packets is classified as a L3 packet. The tool determines translation of the one or more packets classified as L3 packets to one or more corresponding net devices. The tool sends the one or more packets classified as a non L3 packet to a user space packet dispatcher service.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for providing multi-protocol overlay handling includes receiving first traffic via an input overlay tunnel at a multi-protocol virtual tunnel end point (VTEP)-enabled device, the first traffic including a plurality of overlay-encapsulated packets which adhere to a first overlay network protocol, and wherein the input overlay tunnel adheres to the first overlay network protocol; routing the first traffic to a second overlay network tunnel which adheres to a second overlay network protocol when a destination of the first traffic is specified as the second overlay network tunnel, the second overlay network tunnel being terminated at the multi-protocol VTEP-enabled device; and bridging the first traffic to a destination overlay network tunnel terminated at the multi-protocol VTEP-enabled device when the destination of the first traffic is specified as the destination overlay network tunnel, the destination overlay network tunnel being terminated at the multi-protocol VTEP-enabled devic

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code including computer readable program code configured to initialize an internal look-up table cache provided internally to a switching processor, the internal look-up table cache being configured to store a plurality of look-up entries and being organized into at least three segments: a persistent flows entries segment, a non-persistent flows entries segment, and an access control list (ACL) segment. Each look-up entry relates to a traffic flow which has been or is anticipated to be received by a switching processor configured to access the internal look-up table cache. The computer readable program code is also configured to manage the internal look-up table cache to store entries relating to a particular segment type into a corresponding segment of the internal look-up table cache.

Abstract: A tool for supporting load distribution across one or more logical switch routers in a distributed system. The tool includes a first software module configurable to launch and monitor one or more application processes within the one or more logical switch routers in the distributed system. The tool includes a second software module configurable to manage a plurality of system information for the one or more logical switch routers in the distributed system. The tool includes a third software module configurable to control and manage a plurality of system resources in the distributed system. The tool includes a fourth software module configurable to control and manage a plurality of physical ports and a plurality of virtual ports in the distributed system. The tool includes a fifth software module configurable to manage a plurality of load distribution policies for the one or more logical switch routers in the distributed system.

Abstract: A tool for assigning virtual port channels to one or more logical switch routers in a distributed system. The tool receives, by one or more computer processors, a request to assign a virtual port channel to a second logical switch router. The tool sends, by one or more computer processors, a request to negotiate a link-down on the channel on a first logical switch router to a universal fiber port on the first logical switch router for processing. The tool sends, by one or more computer processors, a request to create the channel on the second logical switch router to a second interface manager on the second logical switch router for processing. The tool sends, by one or more computer processors, a request to negotiate a link up on the channel on the second logical switch router to the universal fiber port on the first logical switch router for processing.

Abstract: A tool for partitioning a switch into one or more logical switches in a distributed system. The tool creates, by one or more computer processors, one or more logical switch routers, based, at least in part, on a user configuration. The tool assigns, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on a user configuration, one or more ports to the one or more logical switch routers. The tool manages, by one or more computer processors, the one or more logical switch routers.

Abstract: A scheduler may run a script. The script may have a plurality of configuration commands for a network device. A first configuration command of the plurality of configuration commands may be called to begin. A script engine may determine whether a termination request has been received. The script engine may run the first configuration command when it is determined the termination request is not received. While the first configuration command is running, the script engine may receive the termination request. Instead of terminating immediately upon detection of a termination request, the first configuration command may complete.

Abstract: Management of a network may be provided by moving management functions from each switch in a network cluster into a locally controlled server. The management functions may be organized into an Ethernet distributed fabric switching protocol (E-DFP) based management plane. Control functions of each switch may also be organized into a control plane. The management plane and control plane of the network may be moved from each switch and integrated into the server. Efficiency in network switching may be provided by releasing the switches of their management and control responsibilities and centralizing these responsibilities to the server. In some embodiments, the server may be outside the cluster.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to receive an overlay packet, determine at least one characteristic of the overlay packet and/or inner packets of the overlay packet in order to classify the overlay packet into a classification, associate a flow identifier to the overlay packet, determine one or more policies to associate with the flow identifier, where the one or more policies are based on the at least one characteristic of the overlay packet and/or the inner packets of the overlay packet, and store the flow identifier in a header of the overlay packet, where the flow identifier is a string of characters of a predetermined length, the flow identifier being unique from all other flow identifiers in a particular overlay network and associated with an identified flow of the overlay packet.

Abstract: One or more processors receive a standardized interface request that includes a command formatted in an application protocol. One or more processors extract a class name from a uniform resource identifier (URI) of an application header of the standardized interface request. The application header includes a meta-data that allows class declarations to function as a portion of interface description language. One or more processors identify a type of the command based, at least in part, on the application protocol of the command. One or more processors process the command based on the identified type of the command, the application protocol of the command, and the meta-data. One or more processors send a standardized interface response based on a result of the processing.

Abstract: A network fabric includes interconnected network nodes, each having access to a database containing predetermined paths from each network node to each other network node in the network fabric. Each network node determines, in response to an incoming frame, whether the frame is a fabric protocol data unit (PDU) having a header containing path attributes including a destination node address. If the frame is a fabric PDU, the node selects a first path to the destination node from the database, and forwards the fabric PDU to a next hop in accordance with the selected path. If the frame is not a fabric PDU, the node selects a second path through the network fabric to the destination node from the database, adds the header with the path attributes to the frame to produce the fabric PDU, and forwards the fabric PDU to the next hop in accordance with the second path.

Abstract: A scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis includes a plurality of root fabric cards installed on the one side of the SFC chassis. Each root fabric card has a plurality of electrical connectors. A plurality of line cards is installed on the opposite side of the SFC chassis. Each line card is one of two types of line cards. One of the two types of line cards is a switch-based network line card having network ports for connecting to servers and switches. The other of the two types of line cards is a leaf fabric card having fabric ports for connecting to a fabric port of a network element. Each of the two types of the line cards has electrical connectors that mate with one electrical connector of each root fabric card installed in the chassis.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of ports adapted for connecting to external devices and a switching processor. The switching processor includes a packet processor which includes a look-up interface, fetch and refresh logic (LIFRL) module and a packet processor logic (PPL) module adapted to operate in parallel, an internal look-up table cache including a plurality of look-up entries, each relating to a traffic flow which has been or is anticipated to be received by the switching processor, and a traffic manager module including a buffer memory which is connected to the plurality of ports. The LIFRL module is adapted for accessing the internal look-up table cache, the PPL module is adapted for communicating with the traffic manager module and the buffer memory, and the LIFRL module is adapted for communicating with one or more external look-up tables.