A method, apparatus and related equipment for putting a device online.

Abstract

This application relates to the field of network management technology, and in particular to a device online method, apparatus, and related equipment. The method is applied to a controller and includes: after establishing a Layer 3 connection with a target device in a network, determining whether the target device can serve as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online; if it is determined that the target device can serve as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, managing the target device; and issuing an online relay configuration to the target device, so that the target device can perform online connection for other devices in the network based on the online relay function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of network management technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus and related equipment for putting a device online. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, automated deployment in the campus relies on L3 (Layer 3) management switches. These switches use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) relays configured on the devices to enable devices within the campus to obtain IP addresses and establish connections with the controller. However, as the campus supports more and more scenarios, such as standalone devices, stacked systems, and MLAG (Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation), the requirements for L3 management switches are becoming increasingly stringent. In particular, support for ECMP (Equal Cost Multi-path) routing is required, which generally necessitates Leaf-level or higher devices. These devices are relatively expensive and difficult to meet in some projects, significantly limiting automated deployment.

[0003] In other branch campuses, the actual environment does not meet the requirements for deploying L3 switches. For example, the egress router, firewall, or core switch has already been deployed, making it impossible to configure VLAN 1 and VLAN 4094 gateways for device management and VLAN 1 DHCP relay. Furthermore, since the device management gateway is on an external device, requiring trunk VLAN 1 and VLAN 4094 connections, and Layer 2 access to external devices, complex STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) configuration is needed. In these cases, only semi-automation is possible, requiring manual configuration of complex VxLAN (Virtual Extensible Local Area Network) and BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) configurations between spine-leaf nodes, which makes project deployment difficult and restrictive. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method, apparatus, and related equipment for putting an device online.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a device online method applied to a controller, the method comprising:

[0006] After establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, it is determined whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online;

[0007] When it is determined that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, the target device is managed;

[0008] The target device is issued an online relay configuration so that the target device can perform online connection of other devices in the network based on the online relay function.

[0009] Optionally, after establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, the step of determining whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online includes:

[0010] After establishing a WebSocket connection with the target device in the network, based on the device type information of the target device, it is determined whether the target device can be used as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online. If the target device is determined to be the top-level device of the network, then the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0011] Optionally, the step of sending the online relay configuration to the target device includes:

[0012] The first VLAN gateway configuration, DHCP relay configuration, and second VLAN gateway configuration are sent to the target device, wherein the first VLAN is the VLAN that is allowed by default in the network, and the second VLAN is the management VLAN of the network.

[0013] Optionally, the target device is a Spine device or a Leaf device.

[0014] Secondly, this application provides an online device for use with a controller, the device comprising:

[0015] After establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, the judgment unit is used to determine whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0016] The management unit is used to manage the target device when the determination unit determines that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices to go online in the network.

[0017] The distribution unit is used to distribute the online relay configuration to the target device, so that the target device can perform the online connection of other devices in the network based on the online relay function.

[0018] Optionally, after establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, when determining whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, the determination unit is specifically used for:

[0019] After establishing a WebSocket connection with the target device in the network, based on the device type information of the target device, it is determined whether the target device can be used as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online. If the target device is determined to be the top-level device of the network, then the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0020] Optionally, when sending the online relay configuration to the target device, the sending unit is specifically used for:

[0021] The first VLAN gateway configuration, DHCP relay configuration, and second VLAN gateway configuration are sent to the target device, wherein the first VLAN is the VLAN that is allowed by default in the network, and the second VLAN is the management VLAN of the network.

[0022] Optionally, the target device is a Spine device or a Leaf device.

[0023] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a device for going online, the device for going online comprising:

[0024] Memory, used to store program instructions;

[0025] A processor is configured to invoke program instructions stored in the memory and execute the steps of the method as described in any one of the first aspects above, according to the obtained program instructions.

[0026] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps of the method as described in any of the first aspects above.

[0027] In summary, the device online method provided in this application embodiment is applied to a controller. The method includes: after establishing a Layer 3 connection with a target device in the network, determining whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online; when it is determined that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, managing the target device; and issuing an online relay configuration to the target device so that the target device can perform online access for other devices in the network based on the online relay function.

[0028] The device online method provided in this application eliminates the dependence of automated online deployment on L3 management switches, greatly reducing project implementation costs; it solves the problem that in multi-campus branch scenarios, due to remote control deployment, branches cannot deploy L3 management switches, thus making automated online deployment impossible, enabling branches to be deployed more simply and quickly, achieving automated deployment in all scenarios; it restricts the STP domain to within the campus equipment, reducing the impact of external device loops. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings of the embodiments of this application.

[0030] Figure 1 A detailed flowchart illustrating a device going online method provided in this application embodiment;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an equipment online device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware architecture of another device going online, provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this application and claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to any and all possible combinations comprising one or more of the associated listed items.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various information in embodiments of this application, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" may also be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0035] Currently, the principle behind the automated online management of equipment in the industrial park network is as follows:

[0036] First, configure the gateway for the default Layer 2 connected VLAN (e.g., VLAN 1) and the VLAN 1 DHCP relay on the L3 management switch; configure the gateway for the campus management network management VLAN (e.g., VLAN 4094), and trunk VLAN 1 and VLAN 4094 on the L3 interface; enable the STP protocol and configure STP ignore underlay VLAN.

[0037] The DHCP Server configuration option specifies the WebSocket microservice address of the SDN controller.

[0038] The automation process for the park's equipment is as follows:

[0039] 1. After the device is powered on, it executes the DHCP process for VLAN 1, relays the VLAN 1 address (IP address) to the DHCP Server through the L3 management switch, and obtains the Websocket microservice address of the SDN controller based on the DHCP option field.

[0040] 2. The device actively initiates a connection to the WebSocket microservice and establishes a WebSocket channel with the SDN controller;

[0041] 3. The WebSocket microservice reports network element online events to the management component;

[0042] 4. The SDN controller in the park will activate the network elements and automatically send basic configurations to the devices through the Websocket channel to complete the automated online management of the devices.

[0043] However, in actual deployments, besides considering the cost of L3 management switches, in multi-campus branch offices, other devices (e.g., routers, firewalls, core switches, etc.) already exist at the egress points. Customers often disagree with configuring DHCP relay services on these high-speed forwarding core devices and require communication with devices within the campus via Layer 2 ports. This necessitates STP configuration, which adds external devices to the campus's STP domain, posing a certain risk. Therefore, in some scenarios, semi-automatic online deployment is typically used, with both Spine and Leaf deployed manually, requiring complex VXLAN-related configurations.

[0044] To address the aforementioned technical issues, this application proposes a technical solution that uses devices within the campus network as device online relay devices to automate the online connection of other devices within the campus network.

[0045] For example, see Figure 1The diagram shown is a detailed flowchart of a device online method provided in this application embodiment. The method is applied to a controller and includes the following steps:

[0046] Step 100: After establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, determine whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0047] In this embodiment of the application, after establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, when determining whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, a preferred implementation is as follows:

[0048] After establishing a WebSocket connection with the target device in the network, based on the device type information of the target device, it is determined whether the target device can be used as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online. If the target device is determined to be the top-level device of the network, then the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0049] In practical applications, the administrator selects a device (target device), manually configures the device, specifically, configures the device's IP address, and informs the device controller's IP address via command line, so that the device can establish a Layer 3 connection with the controller based on its own IP address and the controller's IP address.

[0050] It should be noted that the IP address configured for the target device is an IP address from the address pool configured for this network in the DHCP server, and the IP address of the controller can be the IP address of the controller's WebSocket microservice.

[0051] In this embodiment of the application, the target device is a Spine device or a Leaf device.

[0052] In other words, the campus network architecture can be an N-layer network architecture. For example, if the campus network architecture is a 2-layer network architecture, the top-layer device is a Leaf device; if the campus network architecture is a 3-layer network architecture, the top-layer device is a Spine device.

[0053] In this embodiment of the application, only the top-level device in the campus network can serve as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0054] Step 110: When it is determined that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, the target device is managed.

[0055] In practical applications, after the controller establishes a Layer 3 network connection with the target device, the controller can discover the target device in the network topology of the network. When it is determined that the target device meets the conditions for serving as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online, the controller will manage the target device.

[0056] Specifically, the controller is pre-configured with the basic configurations of various devices. Managing a target device means obtaining the corresponding basic configuration based on the device type of the target device (e.g., Spine / Leaf device) and sending the basic configuration to the target device, thereby enabling the controller to manage the target device.

[0057] Step 120: Send an online relay configuration to the target device so that the target device can perform online connection of other devices in the network based on the online relay function.

[0058] After the controller completes the management of the target device, it sends the online relay configuration to the target device.

[0059] Specifically, in this embodiment of the application, when issuing the online relay configuration to the target device, a preferred implementation is as follows:

[0060] The first VLAN gateway configuration, DHCP relay configuration, and second VLAN gateway configuration are sent to the target device, wherein the first VLAN is the VLAN that is allowed by default in the network, and the second VLAN is the management VLAN of the network.

[0061] Based on the above description, the first VLAN is VLAN 1, the second VLAN is VLAN 4094, the target device is configured as the gateway of VLAN 1, the target device is configured as a DHCP relay, and the target device is configured as the gateway (management gateway) of VLAN 4094.

[0062] When other network devices in the campus network need to go online, the target device obtains the IP address corresponding to VLAN 1 from the DHCP server. When obtaining the IP address, the specified option field of the DHCP response message also carries the IP address of the controller (the IP address of the controller's WebSocket microservice). In this way, after other network devices are assigned IP addresses and obtain the controller's IP address, they establish a Layer 3 network connection with the controller. The controller activates the other network devices to be brought online and automatically sends basic configurations to the devices to be brought online through the WebSocket channel, completing the automated online management of the devices.

[0063] Based on the same inventive concept as the above-described embodiments, see, for example, the following: Figure 2The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a device for going online according to an embodiment of this application. This device is applied to a controller and includes:

[0064] After establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, the judgment unit 20 is used to determine whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0065] The management unit 21 is used to manage the target device when the judgment unit determines that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0066] The issuing unit 22 is used to issue an online relay configuration to the target device, so that the target device can perform online connection of other devices in the network based on the online relay function.

[0067] Optionally, after establishing a Layer 3 connection with the target device in the network, when determining whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, the determination unit 20 is specifically used for;

[0068] After establishing a WebSocket connection with the target device in the network, based on the device type information of the target device, it is determined whether the target device can be used as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online. If the target device is determined to be the top-level device of the network, then the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online.

[0069] Optionally, when sending the online relay configuration to the target device, the sending unit 22 is specifically used for:

[0070] The first VLAN gateway configuration, DHCP relay configuration, and second VLAN gateway configuration are sent to the target device, wherein the first VLAN is the VLAN that is allowed by default in the network, and the second VLAN is the management VLAN of the network.

[0071] Optionally, the target device is a Spine device or a Leaf device.

[0072] These units can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Alternatively, when one of these units is implemented using processing element scheduler code, the processing element can be a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or other processor capable of calling program code. Furthermore, these units can be integrated together to form a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0073] Furthermore, regarding the device online device provided in this application embodiment, from a hardware perspective, the hardware architecture schematic diagram of the device online device can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 3 As shown, the device online means may include: a memory 30 and a processor 31.

[0074] The memory 30 is used to store program instructions; the processor 31 calls the program instructions stored in the memory 30 and executes the above method embodiment according to the obtained program instructions. The specific implementation method and technical effect are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0075] Optionally, this application also provides a controller, including at least one processing element (or chip) for performing the above method embodiments.

[0076] Optionally, this application also provides a program product, such as a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing the computer to perform the above-described method embodiments.

[0077] Here, a machine-readable storage medium can be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that can contain or store information, such as executable instructions, data, etc. For example, a machine-readable storage medium can be: RAM (Random Access Memory), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, flash memory, storage drives (such as hard disk drives), solid-state drives, any type of storage disk (such as optical discs, DVDs, etc.), or similar storage media, or combinations thereof.

[0078] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer, which can take the form of a personal computer, laptop computer, cellular phone, camera phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, media player, navigation device, email sending and receiving device, game console, tablet computer, wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

[0079] For ease of description, the above devices are described separately by function as various units. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of this application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0081] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0082] Furthermore, these computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0083] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0084] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An on-device commissioning method, the method comprising: The method is applied to a controller and comprises the following steps: After establishing a three-layer connection with a target device in a network, it is determined whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online; When it is determined that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, the target device is managed; An online relay configuration is issued to the target device, so that the target device performs online of other devices in the network based on an online relay function; After establishing a three-layer connection with a target device in a network, it is determined whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online; After establishing a Websocket connection with a target device in a network, it is determined whether the target device can be used as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online based on device type information of the target device, wherein if it is determined that the target device is a top-level device of the network, it is determined that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, wherein if the network architecture is a two-layer network architecture, the top-level device is a Leaf device, and if the network architecture is a three-layer network architecture, the top-level device is a Spine device; The online relay configuration is issued to the target device, and the issuing unit is specifically configured to: An online relay configuration is issued to the target device, and the issuing unit is specifically configured to:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The target device is a Spine device or a Leaf device.

3. An apparatus for on-line, characterized by The device is applied to a controller and comprises the following units: After establishing a three-layer connection with a target device in a network, the determining unit is configured to determine whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online; When it is determined that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, the managing unit is configured to manage the target device; An online relay configuration is issued to the target device, so that the target device performs online of other devices in the network based on an online relay function; After establishing a three-layer connection with a target device in a network, it is determined whether the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online; After establishing a Websocket connection with a target device in a network, it is determined whether the target device can be used as a relay device for other devices in the network to go online based on device type information of the target device, wherein if it is determined that the target device is a top-level device of the network, it is determined that the target device can be used as an online relay device for other devices in the network to go online, wherein if the network architecture is a two-layer network architecture, the top-level device is a Leaf device, and if the network architecture is a three-layer network architecture, the top-level device is a Spine device; An online relay configuration is issued to the target device, and the issuing unit is specifically configured to: An online relay configuration is issued to the target device, and the issuing unit is specifically configured to: The target device is a Spine device or a Leaf device. The first VLAN gateway configuration, the DHCP relay configuration and the second VLAN gateway configuration are issued to the target device, wherein the first VLAN is a default pass-through VLAN in the networking, and the second VLAN is a management VLAN in the networking.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The target device is a Spine device or a Leaf device.

5. An apparatus for on-line, characterized by The device online device comprises: a memory for storing program instructions; a processor for invoking the program instructions stored in the memory and executing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-2.

6. A computer readable storage medium characterized by, The computer readable storage medium stores computer executable instructions for causing the computer to execute the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-2. The computer readable storage medium stores computer executable instructions for causing the computer to execute the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-2.

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