Media access control (MAC) address summation in Datacenter Ethernet networking

摘要

Techniques are presented to summarize the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses behind a single edge port so that the Datacenter Ethernet edge devices do not learn the MAC addresses of individual end hosts connected to the Datacenter Ethernet network. At a line card of an Ethernet networking device connected to a DCE network, information is generated that summarizes Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of remote hosts reachable through a Datacenter Ethernet networking device of the Datacenter Ethernet network. A packet is received at the Ethernet networking device, wherein the packet is directed to one of the remote hosts. The packet is forwarded to one of the remote hosts using the information summarizing the MAC addresses of the remote hosts.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
at a line card of an Ethernet networking device connected to an edge of a Datacenter Ethernet network, learning the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of a plurality of remote hosts reachable through a Datacenter Ethernet networking device of the Datacenter Ethernet network; generating a summarized switch identifier corresponding to the plurality of MAC addresses of the plurality of remote hosts reachable through the Datacenter Ethernet networking device of the Datacenter Ethernet network; receiving a packet at the Ethernet networking device, wherein the packet is directed to one of the plurality of remote hosts reachable through the Datacenter Ethernet networking device; encapsulating the packet with the summarized switch identifier; and sending the packet encapsulated with the summarized switch identifier to the Datacenter Ethernet network for forwarding to the one of the plurality of remote hosts using the summarized switch identifier.