MCLAG Relay System Active Standby Port Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network systems with device-level redundancy, communication congestion and complex network management arise due to the need to flush forwarding databases when faults occur on links between user L2 switching devices and active/standby devices, especially in carrier networks with multiple user switching devices.
Innovation Solution
A relay system with two L2 switching devices connected via inter-device MCLAG, where each device has a MCLAG table, port control unit, relay processing unit, and transmission stop unit, allowing for controlled frame transmission and reception states to manage faults without database flushing, facilitating network management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inter-device LAG is applied to distribute frame transmission to multiple L2 switching devices, then system availability is improved, but network management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the L2 switching devices into active and standby roles, with each device having dedicated port groups (first port group for active, second port group for standby). This segmentation allows simplified management by clearly defining which device handles which traffic, eliminating the need for complex path tracking across multiple active devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having multiple active devices sharing load (which complicates management), the invention inverts the approach by having one active device and one standby device. The standby device actively monitors and synchronizes with the active device, simplifying management while maintaining high availability through failover capability.
2Reliability
If FDB flushing is performed when link faults occur, then path switching is achieved, but communication congestion occurs due to flooding
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary actions by pre-synchronizing FDB entries between active and standby devices before faults occur. When a link fault happens, the standby device already has the necessary forwarding information ready, allowing immediate path switching without FDB flushing and avoiding communication congestion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an FDB synchronization mechanism as an intermediary between the active and standby devices. This synchronization process allows the standby device to maintain up-to-date FDB entries, enabling seamless path switching during faults without requiring broadcast flooding.
Data Source
AI summary
A MCLAG table retains a first port in association with a first identifier. A port control unit controls a first port group to a transmission/reception permitted state when the first port group is set to active, and controls the first port group to a transmission/reception prohibited state when the first port group is set to standby. A relay processing unit relays a frame containing the first identifier as a destination port to the first port group when the first port group is controlled to the transmission/reception permitted state and relays the same to a bridge port when the first port group is controlled to the transmission/reception prohibited state. When the first port group is controlled to the transmission/reception prohibited state, a transmission stop instructing unit instructs a peer device to stop frame transmission to the first port group.