Inband management in a multi-stage CLOS network

摘要

Systems and methods for managing a large number of multi-stage switches in a data center are provided. In one aspect, a plurality of first stage switches in a switch cluster may be configured to function as a proxy switch for a given number of second stage switches in the switch cluster. Each of the first stage switches may thus receive, via a first set of networking links, inbound control plane management traffic destined for respective ones of the given number of second stage switches. The first stage switches may then route the control plane management traffic to the appropriate second stage switches via a second set of bidirectional links. In addition, each of the second stage switches may be further configured to route outbound data traffic originating from the second stage switches using all available uplinks in the second set of bidirectional links.

主权项

1. A method for in-band management of a plurality of switches in a data center, the method comprising:
assigning a given first stage switch in a switch cluster as a proxy switch for downlink traffic for a first set of second stage switches in the switch cluster; assigning another first stage switch in the switch cluster as a proxy switch for downlink traffic for a second set of second stage switches in the switch cluster, the second set being different than the first set, wherein each of the first set of second stage switches and the second set of second stage switches are directly interconnected to both the given first stage switch and the another first stage switch via a first set of bidirectional networking links; receiving, at the given first stage switch, an address resolution request from a control plane network (CPN) edge switch directly interconnected with the given first stage switch via a second set of bidirectional networking links, the CPN edge switch providing connectivity to one or more CPN components managing the plurality of switches; providing, by the given first stage switch, a response to the address resolution request received from the CPN edge switch, the response including an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the given first stage switch and respective IP addresses of switches of the first set of second stage switches; in response to receiving the response at the CPN edge switch, configuring a routing table of the CPN edge switch to send traffic destined for the first set of second stage switches to the given first stage switch; receiving, at a given second stage switch in the first set of second stage switches, downlink traffic through the given first stage switch assigned as the proxy for the given second stage switch; and configuring the given second stage switch in the first set of second stage switches, based on the received traffic, to send a first portion of uplink traffic to the given first stage switch assigned as the proxy, and to send a second portion of the uplink traffic to the another first stage switch that is not assigned as a proxy to the given second stage switch, the second portion being different than the first portion; wherein the set of second stage switches do not receive any address resolution requests.