Network Switch Port Auto-Provisioning via Hypervisor Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual configuration of network switches to handle virtual LAN traffic in data centers is error-prone and inefficient, requiring significant administrative effort to provision VLANs for multiple network host devices and virtual machines.
Innovation Solution
A network switch is configured to discover configuration information from connected network host devices via a hypervisor, automatically provisioning its ports to process traffic by identifying and matching network source information with stored data object attributes, thereby enabling automatic VLAN ID provisioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual configuration is used to provision VLANs on network switches, then configuration precision can be maintained, but productivity and ease of operation deteriorate due to significant administrative effort and error-prone processes
Solution Approach 1:
The network switch autonomously discovers host configuration information from the hypervisor and automatically provisions its own ports without requiring manual administrator intervention. The switch performs self-configuration by discovering VLAN ID and host interface information, then automatically creating appropriate port configurations to handle virtual machine traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary discovery of host configuration information before actual traffic processing begins. The switch queries the hypervisor for VLAN ID and host interface information in advance, stores this configuration data, and uses it to pre-configure ports before virtual machine traffic needs to be processed.
2Reliability
If manual configuration is used to provision VLANs on network switches, then configuration accuracy can be maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complex coordination between system administrators and network administrators
Solution Approach 1:
The network switch independently performs configuration discovery and provisioning without requiring coordination between system administrators and network administrators. The switch autonomously queries the hypervisor for configuration information and self-configures its ports, eliminating the need for manual coordination and reducing administrative burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The switch establishes a communication session with the hypervisor to discover host configuration information, using feedback from the hypervisor's data objects to accurately configure switch ports. This feedback mechanism ensures configuration accuracy while automating the process.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual configuration is used for each VLAN and host device, then configuration precision can be maintained, but device complexity increases due to the need to manage multiple VLANs across many switches
Solution Approach 1:
Each network switch autonomously manages its own configuration by discovering host and VLAN information from the hypervisor. This self-service approach eliminates the need for centralized manual management of multiple VLANs across many switches, reducing overall system management complexity while maintaining configuration precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The automatic provisioning mechanism works universally across all network switches and host devices in the system. The same discovery and configuration process applies to all VLANs and host interfaces, simplifying management complexity compared to individual manual configurations.
4Reliability
If manual configuration is used to provision VLANs, then configuration accuracy can be maintained, but loss of time increases due to the time-consuming process of provisioning each port individually
Solution Approach 1:
The switch performs preliminary discovery of VLAN and host interface information from the hypervisor before actual traffic processing begins. This advance configuration preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming manual provisioning during operation, reducing provisioning time while maintaining accuracy through automated data discovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The automatic self-provisioning process eliminates the need for manual administrator time investment in configuring each port individually. The switch autonomously completes configuration tasks that would otherwise require significant human time, dramatically reducing provisioning time while maintaining configuration accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A port provision system includes a packet network device having a plurality of ports. A port provisioning system is coupled to the packet network device. The port provisioning system obtains configuration information from a host device coupled to the packet network device. The configuration information includes a virtual network identification assigned to a virtual machine included on the host device. The port provisioning system then retrieves packet information from a packet sent form the host device. The port provisioning system then provisions at least one of the plurality of ports with the virtual network identification included in the configuration information in response to determining that the packet information matches the configuration information.