Relaying frames in a large layer 2 network fabric

摘要

A network fabric includes interconnected network nodes, each having access to a database containing predetermined paths from each network node to each other network node in the network fabric. Each network node determines, in response to an incoming frame, whether the frame is a fabric protocol data unit (PDU) having a header containing path attributes including a destination node address. If the frame is a fabric PDU, the node selects a first path to the destination node from the database, and forwards the fabric PDU to a next hop in accordance with the selected path. If the frame is not a fabric PDU, the node selects a second path through the network fabric to the destination node from the database, adds the header with the path attributes to the frame to produce the fabric PDU, and forwards the fabric PDU to the next hop in accordance with the second path.

主权项

1. A method of relaying frames through a network fabric, the method comprising:
receiving a frame at a given network node in the network fabric; determining, by the given network node, whether the frame is a fabric protocol data unit (PDU) having a header used for Layer 2 switching, the header containing path attributes including an address of a destination network node in the network fabric; and if the frame is a fabric PDU, selecting, by the given network node, a first path to the destination network node from a database of predetermined paths, and forwarding the fabric PDU to a next hop in accordance with the selected first path, otherwise, if the frame is not a fabric PDU, selecting, by the given network node, a second path to the destination network node from the database of predetermined paths, adding the header with the path attributes to the frame to produce the fabric PDU, and forwarding the fabric PDU to the next hop in accordance with the selected second path.