Star Stacking Port Extension Packet Forwarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional star stacking systems experience slow topology convergence and increased CPU burden due to hierarchical topology convergence, where all members, including the Master and Slaves, are involved, leading to inefficiencies and significant impacts from topology changes.
Innovation Solution
The system divides members into stacking control members and port extension members, where only the control members perform topology convergence, and port extension members are connected in a tree structure to enhance access capacity and reduce the need for hierarchical convergence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hierarchical topology convergence is implemented involving all members (Master and Slaves), then comprehensive topology management is achieved, but topology convergence speed decreases and CPU burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the stacking system into two functional groups: stacking control members (Master and selected Slaves) that perform topology convergence, and stacking port extension members that do not participate in convergence calculations. This segmentation allows the system to maintain comprehensive topology management while reducing the number of devices involved in convergence operations, thereby speeding up convergence and reducing CPU burden on control members.
2Loss of information
If all members participate in topology convergence, then complete topology awareness is achieved, but CPU load on control members increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces stacking port extension members as intermediaries that connect to the stacking network but do not actively participate in topology convergence calculations. These intermediary devices extend port capacity while the actual convergence computations are performed only by the stacking control members, reducing CPU energy consumption on control members while maintaining complete topology information through the control members' awareness of all connected devices.
3Quantity of substance
If hierarchical stacking structure is used, then port extension capacity is increased, but topology change impact is amplified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the stacking system into control members that handle topology convergence and port extension members that provide capacity without participating in convergence. This segmentation isolates topology change impacts to only the control members, preventing cascading effects through all port extension devices. The port extension members remain stable and unaffected by topology changes, improving overall system resilience while maintaining high port extension capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A stacking port extension member receives a packet, forwards the packet according to a destination port number of the packet when a destination forwarding chip identifier (ID) of the packet is a local forwarding chip ID, determine whether the packet is transmitted to a lower-level stacking port extension member when the destination forwarding chip ID of the packet is not the local forwarding chip ID, forward the packet according to a configured forwarding relationship towards the lower-level stacking port extension member when it is determined that the packet is transmitted to the lower-level stacking port extension member, and otherwise, directly forward the packet through a locally configured uplink second-level stacking port.