Coordinated Gateways for TRILL and VXLAN Fabric Interworking

The patent applies dynamics by enabling multiple active gateways to simultaneously handle multi-destination traffic between TRILL and VXLAN fabrics. Instead of a static vPC configuration with fixed peer links, the system dynamically load-balances traffic across multiple gateways based on their appointed forwarder status and assigned group address ranges. This dynamic distribution optimizes link utilization and prevents any single link from being underutilized or overloaded.

The patent implements local quality by allowing different load-balancing behaviors for different traffic types and flows. The system maintains per-flow load balancing for unicast traffic while using VLAN/segment-based load balancing for multi-destination traffic. This is achieved through the group address range assignment mechanism that enables fine-grained control over which gateway handles which traffic flow, providing adaptability for both unicast and multi-destination scenarios.

The patent applies universality by using the standardized TRILL protocol as the interconnection mechanism between gateways, replacing the proprietary vPC solution. The TRILL hello PDU with group address range fields provides a universal interface that enables any number of gateways to interconnect and cooperate in handling multi-destination traffic. This universal approach removes the two-peer limitation of vPC and allows the system to scale to multiple gateways while maintaining reliability through the appointed forwarder model.