Method and computing devices for enforcing packet order based on packet marking

Abstract

Method and computing devices for enforcing packet order based on packet marking. Upon occurrence of a link failure, a first device reallocates traffic initially forwarded through the failed link to an alternative link and marks the reallocated traffic with a first flag. Upon recovery of the failed link, the reallocated traffic is forwarded again through the recovered link and marked with a second flag different from the first flag. A second device calculates a reference inter-packet time for received traffic marked with the first flag. For received traffic marked with the second flag, the second device calculates a current inter-packet time. The current inter-packet time is compared with the reference inter-packet time, to determine if the traffic marked with the second flag shall be forwarded immediately or if the forwarding shall be delayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing device comprising:
 a plurality of communication interfaces providing access to a corresponding plurality of communication links; and   a processing unit for:
 transmitting Internet Protocol (IP) packets of an IP flow via a first communication interface among the plurality of communication interfaces providing access to a corresponding first communication link among the plurality of communication links; 
 determining a failure of the first communication link; 
 upon the determination of the failure, marking the IP packets of the IP flow with a first flag and transmitting the IP packets of the IP flow via a second communication interface among the plurality of communication interfaces providing access to a corresponding second communication link among the plurality of communication links; 
 determining that the first communication link has recovered from the failure; and 
 upon the determination of the recovery from the failure, marking the IP packets of the IP flow with a second flag different from the first flag and transmitting the IP packets of the IP flow via the first communication interface providing access to the corresponding first communication link. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the marking of the IP packets with the second flag occurs for a given amount of time. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit further:
 transmits IP packets of at least one other IP flow via the first communication interface;   upon the determination of the failure, marks the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow with the first flag and transmits the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow via the second communication interface or another communication interface among the plurality of communication interfaces different from the first communication interface and providing access to a corresponding communication link among the plurality of communication links different from the first link; and   upon the determination of the recovery from the failure, marks the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow with the second flag and transmits the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow via the first communication interface.   
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , consisting of a leaf networking equipment or a spine networking equipment of a fabric of a data center. 
     
     
         5 . A method for enforcing packet order of transmitted packets based on packet marking, the method comprising:
 transmitting by a processing unit of a computing device Internet Protocol (IP) packets of an IP flow via a first communication interface of the computing device providing access to a corresponding first communication link;   determining by the processing unit of the computing device a failure of the first communication link;   upon the determination of the failure, marking by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the IP flow with a first flag and transmitting by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the IP flow via a second communication interface of the computing device providing access to a corresponding second communication link;   determining by the processing unit of the computing device that the first communication link has recovered from the failure; and   upon determination of the recovery from the failure, marking by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the IP flow with a second flag different from the first flag and transmitting by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the IP flow via the first communication interface of the computing device providing access to the corresponding first communication link.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the marking of the IP packets with the second flag occurs for a given amount of time. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 transmitting by the processing unit of the computing device IP packets of at least one other IP flow via the first communication interface of the computing device;   upon the determination of the failure, marking by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow with the first flag and transmitting by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow via the second communication interface of the computing device or another communication of the computing device, the other communication of the computing device being different from the first communication interface of the computing device and providing access to a corresponding communication link different from the first communication link; and   upon the determination of the recovery from the failure, marking by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow with the second flag and transmitting by the processing unit of the computing device the IP packets of the at least one other IP flow via the first communication interface of the computing device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the computing device consists of a leaf networking equipment or a spine networking equipment of a fabric of a data center.