Gateway RB Packet Forwarding Without TRILL Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data center networks, existing VLL2 networking technologies like TRILL face inefficiencies due to the need for TRILL encapsulation and decapsulation at gateway Routing Bridges, which can limit layer-three forwarding capacity and increase processing complexity.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating and forwarding Ethernet packets directly to gateway Routing Bridges without TRILL encapsulation, using Virtual Switching Interfaces and ARP processes to manage MAC addresses and IP routing, allowing for layer-three forwarding without TRILL encapsulation and decapsulation at gateway RBs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If TRILL encapsulation and decapsulation is performed at gateway Routing Bridges, then layer-two networking functionality is maintained, but layer-three forwarding capacity is limited and processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the TRILL encapsulation and decapsulation operations from the gateway Routing Bridges and relocates them to non-gateway RBs. This removal of complex processing from the gateway RBs directly reduces their processing complexity and frees up layer-three forwarding capacity, as gateways no longer need to perform time-consuming encapsulation/decapsulation operations on every packet.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the TRILL network functionality by dividing RBs into gateway RBs and non-gateway RBs with distinct roles. Non-gateway RBs handle encapsulation/decapsulation operations, while gateway RBs focus on layer-three routing decisions. This functional segmentation allows each component to specialize, improving overall network efficiency and reducing the burden on gateway RBs.
2Speed
If TRILL encapsulation is performed at gateway Routing Bridges, then packet forwarding through layer-two network is enabled, but forwarding efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the encapsulation processing function from gateway RBs and assigns it to non-gateway RBs. This extraction eliminates the processing bottleneck at gateway RBs, allowing them to forward packets at full line rate without the overhead of TRILL encapsulation operations, thereby improving forwarding efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary encapsulation action by having non-gateway RBs perform TRILL encapsulation before packets reach the gateway RBs. This preliminary processing ensures that when packets arrive at gateways, the encapsulation is already complete, allowing gateways to simply forward based on layer-three routing tables without performing additional encapsulation operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A gateway RB may search for an ARP entry of the destination IP address of an IP packet. The gateway RB may generate an Ethernet header based on a VLAN identification and a MAC address in the found ARP entry and a first local MAC address. The gateway RB may generate an Ethernet packet by adding the generated Ethernet header to the IP packet, and send out the Ethernet packet via an egress port in the found ARP entry; wherein the founded ARP entry is generated by the gateway RB based on a received TRILL-encapsulated ARP packet and a VSI on the gateway RB associating with the first local MAC address and the destination IP address of the IP packet belong to the same VLAN.