Partitioning of Switches and Fabrics into Logical Switches and Fabrics

Abstract

A Layer 2 network switch is partitionable into a plurality of switch fabrics. The single-chassis switch is partitionable into a plurality of logical switches, each associated with one of the virtual fabrics. The logical switches behave as complete and self-contained switches. A logical switch fabric can span multiple single-chassis switch chassis. Logical switches are connected by inter-switch links that can be either dedicated single-chassis links or logical links. An extended inter-switch link can be used to transport traffic for one or more logical inter-switch links. Physical ports of the chassis are assigned to logical switches and are managed by the logical switch. Legacy switches that are not partitionable into logical switches can serve as transit switches between two logical switches.

1 . A method of managing a network switch, comprising:
 partitioning a first network switch into a first plurality of logical switches; and   managing each of the plurality of logical switches independent of each other of the plurality of the first plurality of logical switches.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein partitioning a first network switch comprises:
 dedicating a resource of the first network switch to a logical switch of the first plurality of logical switches.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 isolating data traffic through a first logical switch of the first plurality of logical switches from the other logical switches of the first plurality of logical switches.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 defining a link between a first logical switch of the first plurality of logical switches and a second switch; and   communicating data between the first logical switch and the second switch.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second switch is a second network switch. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 partitioning a second network switch into a second plurality of logical switches,   wherein the second switch is a logical switch of the second plurality of logical switches.   
     
     
         7 . A method of partitioning network switches, comprising:
 partitioning the first network switch into a first plurality of virtual switch fabrics;   partitioning the first network switch into a first plurality of logical switches; and   associating the first logical switch with a first virtual fabric of the first plurality of virtual switch fabrics.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 partitioning a second network switch into a second plurality of virtual switch fabrics;   defining a multi-chassis virtual fabric, comprising the first virtual fabric of the first plurality of virtual switch fabrics and a second virtual fabric of the second plurality of virtual switch fabrics; and   configuring the first virtual fabric and the second virtual fabric as a multi-chassis virtual fabric.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 partitioning the second network switch into a second plurality of logical switches;   associating a second logical switch of the second plurality of logical switches with the multi-chassis virtual fabric; and   communicating data between the first logical switch and the second logical switch across the multi-chassis virtual fabric.   
     
     
         10 . A network switch, comprising:
 a switch, partitionable into a plurality of logical switches, wherein each of the plurality of logical switches is a complete and self-contained network switch;   a processor;   a storage medium, connected to the processor;   a chassis management system, stored on the storage medium, wherein the chassis management system, that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform actions that are associated with the switch as a whole; and   a logical switch management system, stored on the storage medium, wherein the logical switch management system, that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform actions associated with any of the plurality of logical switches.   
     
     
         11 . The network switch of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the switch comprises a plurality of network resources,   wherein each of the plurality of logical switches is assigned a network resource of the plurality of network resources,   wherein a first logical switch of the plurality of logical switches is defined as a default logical switch, and   wherein the default logical switch is assigned any of the network resources not assigned to any other logical switch.   
     
     
         12 . The network switch of  claim 11 , wherein the chassis management system comprises:
 a logical fabric manager, configured to create and maintain a virtual fabric topology, comprising:
 a controller, configured to handle incoming events; 
 a fabric database, stored in the storage medium; 
 a fabric database manager, configured to store configuration information for virtual fabrics in the fabric database; 
 a logical topology database, stored in the storage medium; 
 a logical topology manager, configured to store topology information for each virtual fabric in the logical topology database; 
 a logical link database, stored in the storage medium; and 
 a logical link manager, configured to store information about logical links associated with the plurality of logical switches in the logical link database. 
   
     
     
         13 . The network switch of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the switch is partitionable into a plurality of virtual fabrics, wherein each of the plurality of logical switches is assigned to one of the plurality of virtual fabrics.   
     
     
         14 . The network switch of  claim 13 , wherein each of the virtual fabrics comprises:
 a virtual fabric identifier, wherein the virtual fabric identifier is associated with each of the plurality of logical switches to assign that logical switch to a virtual fabric.   
     
     
         15 . A computer readable medium on which is stored software for partitioning a network switch, the software for instructing a processor of the network switch to perform actions comprising:
 partitioning the network switch into a first plurality of logical switches; and   managing each of the plurality of logical switches independent of each other of the plurality of the first plurality of logical switches.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 defining a link between a first logical switch of the first plurality of logical switches and a second switch; and   communicating data between the first logical switch and the second switch.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 partitioning a second network switch into a second plurality of logical switches, defining a link between a first logical switch of the first plurality of logical switches and a second switch; and   wherein the second switch is a logical switch of the second plurality of logical switches.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 partitioning the first network switch into a first plurality of virtual switch fabrics; and   associating a first logical switch of the plurality of logical switches with a first virtual fabric of the first plurality of virtual switch fabrics.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 partitioning the first network switch into a first plurality of virtual switch fabrics;   partitioning a second network switch into a second plurality of virtual switch fabrics;   defining a multi-chassis virtual fabric, comprising a virtual fabric of the first plurality of virtual switch fabrics and a virtual fabric of the second plurality of virtual switch fabrics; and   associating a first logical switch of the first plurality of logical switches with the multi-chassis virtual fabric.   
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 partitioning the second switch into a second plurality of logical switches;   associating a second logical switch of the second plurality of logical switches with the multi-chassis virtual fabric; and   communicating data between the first logical switch and the second logical switch across the multi-chassis virtual fabric.   
     
     
         21 . A network comprising:
 a plurality of external devices;   a plurality of chassis, each comprising:
 a single-chassis fabric; and 
 a switch configured for use with the single-chassis fabric; 
   a first multi-chassis virtual fabric coupling the plurality of external devices, wherein the first multi-chassis virtual fabric comprises:
 a first virtual single-chassis fabric to which are coupled a first portion of the plurality of external devices, the first virtual single-chassis fabric selected from a plurality of virtual fabrics configured from the single-chassis fabric of a first chassis of the plurality of chassis; and 
 a second virtual single-chassis fabric to which are coupled a second portion of the plurality of external devices, the second virtual single-chassis fabric selected from a plurality of virtual fabrics configured from the single-chassis fabric of a second chassis of the plurality of chassis; and 
   a software stored on a storage medium of each of the plurality of chassis, the software for instructing a processor of the corresponding chassis to perform actions comprising:
 partitioning the single-chassis fabric of the chassis into a plurality of virtual single-chassis fabrics; 
 associating a virtual single-chassis fabric of the plurality of virtual single-chassis fabrics with the multi-chassis virtual fabric; 
 partitioning the switch into a plurality of logical switches; and 
 assigning a first logical switch of the plurality of logical switches to the multi-chassis virtual fabric. 
   
     
     
         22 . The network of  claim 21 , the software for instructing the processor of the corresponding chassis to perform actions further comprising:
 linking the first logical switch with a second logical switch of another of the plurality of chassis and assigned to the multi-chassis virtual fabric; and   communicating data between the first logical switch and the second logical switch.