Source routing with fabric switches in an ethernet fabric network

摘要

In one embodiment, a system includes a network fabric having a plurality of fabric switches interconnected in the network fabric and a switch controller having logic adapted to configure the network fabric, determine one or more paths through the network fabric between any two hosts connected thereto, and create a source-routing table to store the one or more paths through the network fabric between any two hosts connected thereto. In another embodiment, a method includes receiving or creating a packet using a NIC of a host connected to a network fabric having a plurality of fabric switches interconnected therein, determining a path through the network fabric by consulting a source-routing table stored to the host, storing source-routing information to a packet header for the packet, the source-routing information including the path, and sending the packet to a first device or hop indicated by the path in the source-routing information.

主权项

1. A system for source routing packets, the system comprising:
a network fabric comprising a plurality of fabric switches interconnected in the network fabric; and a switch controller, comprising logic configured to:
configure the network fabric;determine one or more paths through the network fabric between any two hosts connected thereto;create a source-routing table to store the one or more paths through the network fabric between any two hosts connected thereto;store the one or more paths through the network fabric between any two hosts connected thereto to the source-routing table; andstore, to a first host, at least one path through the network fabric originating from the first host in response to a determination that the first host comprises a forwarding table that includes source-routing information for packets being sent to other end hosts connected to the network fabric, wherein the at least one path comprises:a destination address corresponding to the first host connected to the network fabric;a destination address corresponding to a second host connected to the network fabric; anda destination port set representing each device or hop between the first host and the second host, each destination port comprising a device identifier and an egress port identifier for the device or hop in the path.