Extended Fabric Switches Across Datacenters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fabric switch systems are limited in scalability as they are typically deployed within a single datacenter, making virtual machine migration and workload management across datacenters infeasible, and require extensive layer-3 device configuration for interconnection, which is costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
An extended fabric switch system is implemented, where multiple fabric switches operate as a single logical switch, allowing dynamic tunnel establishment between neighbor fabric switches across datacenters, enabling automatic configuration and 'pay-as-you-grow' scalability without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fabric switch size is increased to improve bandwidth and capability, then switching performance is improved, but device complexity and per-port cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a large fabric switch into multiple smaller member switches that function collectively as a single logical switch. Each member switch handles a portion of the total bandwidth and capability requirements, reducing individual device complexity while maintaining overall high-performance switching through coordinated operation of multiple segments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fabric switch is extended across datacenters to improve scalability, then network capacity is improved, but device complexity and configuration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple fabric switches across different datacenters into a single extended fabric switch through tunnel establishment. Member switches from different datacenters are combined to form one logical switching entity, enabling scalability across datacenter boundaries while the tunneling mechanism abstracts away the underlying complexity from end systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tunnels as intermediary structures to connect member switches across datacenters. These tunnels serve as mediators that encapsulate and transport traffic between distributed fabric switches, enabling extended fabric functionality while isolating the complexity of inter-datacenter connectivity from the member switches themselves.
3Reliability
If layer-3 devices are configured for interconnection to improve connectivity, then network reachability is improved, but configuration complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the connectivity function from complex layer-3 device configurations and implements it directly within the fabric switch member switches using tunneling. By taking out the interconnection logic from external layer-3 devices and embedding it in the fabric switches themselves, the system achieves reliable connectivity while eliminating the need for extensive external configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a fabric switch module and a learning module. The fabric switch module maintains a membership in a first fabric switch. A fabric switch includes a plurality of switches and operates as a single switch. The first fabric switch is in an extended fabric switch which further comprises a second fabric switch. The learning module identifies from a notification message from the second fabric switch a media access control (MAC) address learned at the second fabric switch. The learning module stores the MAC address in a local MAC table in association with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second fabric switch.