PATHWAY DECISION FORWARDING FOR RACK DOMAINS

摘要

Methods and systems for improved pathway decision forwarding for rack domains include a gravity well forwarding protocol that enables local forwarding decisions at each network node involved with forwarding packets. The gravity well forwarding protocol may administer gravity well values for each of a plurality of rack domain nodes in a rack domain. The local forwarding decisions may involve selecting output ports corresponding to a higher/lower gravity well value at a network switching element, depending on a destination gravity well value associated with a network packet. Assignment of the gravity well values among the rack domain nodes may be used according to considerations, including security considerations, throughput considerations, loading considerations, redundancy considerations, physical location, and/or physical proximity, among other considerations, in the rack domain.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving an incoming packet at a first rack domain node having a first gravity well value; determining whether to forward the incoming packet using gravity well forwarding; and when the incoming packet is forwarded using gravity well forwarding:
identifying a gravity well destination value for the incoming packet;based on the gravity well destination value, selecting an output port of the first rack domain node, the output port corresponding to one of: a second rack domain node having a second gravity well value and a third rack domain node having a third gravity well value, wherein the second gravity well value is greater than the first gravity well value, and the first gravity well value is greater than the third gravity well value; andforwarding the incoming packet to the output port.