Management of multiple network routes

摘要

Managing network communications between network hosts that have multiple physical network ports coupled to the network. A first host broadcasts address resolution requests from first physical network ports of the first host and receives responses to the address resolution requests from second physical network ports of a second host. The responses include respective connection bandwidths of the second physical network ports. The first host generates connectivity information describing a plurality of available communication routes in the network between first physical network ports of the first host and second physical network ports of the second host based on the responses, from which a subset of available communication routes can be selected for data transfer.

主权项

1. A computer implemented method of operations in a first host that communicates with a second host through a network, comprising:
broadcasting address resolution requests from a plurality of first physical network ports of the first host to a plurality of second physical network ports of the second host; receiving responses to the address resolution requests from the second physical network ports of the second host, the responses to the address resolution requests including respective connection bandwidths of the second physical network ports; generating connectivity information describing a plurality of available communication routes in the network between the plurality of first physical network ports of the first host and the plurality of second physical network ports of the second host based on the responses to the address resolution requests; selecting a subset of the available communication routes for data transfer via the network between the first host and the second host based on the respective connection bandwidths of the second physical network ports; and transferring data with the second host via the subset of the available communication routes, wherein the respective port bandwidths for the second physical network ports are included in optional extension fields of the responses to the address resolution requests.