Data traffic handling in a distributed fabric protocol (dfp) switching network architecture

Abstract

A switching network includes an upper tier having a master switch and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities. The master switch, which has a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective lower tier entity, implements on each of the ports a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port. Data traffic communicated between the master switch and RPIs is queued within virtual ports that correspond to the RPIs with which the data traffic is communicated. The master switch applies data handling to the data traffic in accordance with a control policy based at least upon the virtual port in which the data traffic is queued, such that the master switch applies different policies to data traffic queued to two virtual ports on the same port of the master switch.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A master switch of a switching network including an upper tier including the master switch and a lower tier including a plurality of lower tier entities, the master switch comprising:
 a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of lower tier entities, each of the plurality of ports including a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port, wherein data traffic communicated between the master switch and RPIs on the plurality of lower tier entities is queued to virtual ports among the plurality of virtual ports that correspond to the RPIs on lower tier entities with which the data traffic is communicated;   a switch controller that switches data traffic between the plurality of ports;   wherein the master switch applies data handling to the data traffic in accordance with a control policy based at least upon the virtual port in which the data traffic is queued, such that the master switch applies different policies to data traffic queued to two virtual ports on the same one of the plurality of ports of the master switch.   
     
     
         14 . The master switch of  claim 13 , wherein each of the pluralities of virtual ports comprises a plurality of sets of virtual queues at ingress. 
     
     
         15 . The master switch of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the data traffic includes an RPI identifier identifying an RPI on the particular lower tier entity; and   the master switch queues the data traffic to virtual ports based on the RPI identifier.   
     
     
         16 . The master switch of  claim 13 , wherein each of the pluralities of virtual ports comprises a plurality of sets of virtual queues at egress. 
     
     
         17 . The master switch of  claim 13 , wherein applying data handling comprises multicasting the data traffic to multiple virtual ports. 
     
     
         18 . The master switch of  claim 13 , wherein applying data handling comprises distributing the data traffic across a subset of the plurality of virtual ports forming a link aggregation group. 
     
     
         19 . The master switch of  claim 18 , wherein the subset of the plurality of virtual ports correspond to RPIs at different ones of the plurality of lower tier entities. 
     
     
         20 . The master switch of  claim 13 , wherein applying data handling comprises applying traffic shaping to the data traffic. 
     
     
         21 . The master switch of  claim 13 , wherein applying data handling comprises applying rate-limiting the data traffic. 
     
     
         22 . The master switch of  claim 13 , wherein the master switch queues data traffic to the plurality of virtual ports and applies data handling to the data traffic based on service tags specified by the data traffic. 
     
     
         23 . A switching network including
 the master switch of  claim 13 ; and   the plurality of lower tier entities.   
     
     
         24 . The switching network of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the plurality of lower tier entities includes a follower switch configured in flow through mode; and   the plurality of RPIs comprises data ports.   
     
     
         25 . The switching network of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the plurality of lower tier entities includes a host platform; and   the plurality of RPIs on the host platform includes a virtual machine.   
     
     
         26 . A program product, comprising:
 a machine-readable storage device; and   program code stored within the machine-readable storage medium, wherein the program code, when processed by a machine, causes the machine to perform:
 in a switching network including an upper tier having a master switch and a lower tier having a plurality of lower tier entities, the master switch having a plurality of ports each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of lower tier entities, the master switch implementing on each of the plurality of ports a plurality of virtual ports each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of remote physical interfaces (RPIs) at the lower tier entity coupled to that port; 
 the master switch queuing data traffic communicated between the master switch and RPIs on the plurality of lower tier entities within virtual ports among the plurality of virtual ports that correspond to the RPIs on lower tier entities with which the data traffic is communicated; and 
 the master switch applying data handling to the data traffic in accordance with a control policy based at least upon the virtual port in which the data traffic is queued, wherein the master switch applies different policies to data traffic queued to two virtual ports on the same one of the plurality of ports of the master switch. 
   
     
     
         27 . The program product of  claim 26 , wherein applying data handling comprises multicasting the data traffic to multiple virtual ports. 
     
     
         28 . The program product of  claim 26 , wherein applying data handling comprises distributing the data traffic across a subset of the plurality of virtual ports forming a link aggregation group. 
     
     
         29 . The program product of  claim 28 , wherein the subset of the plurality of virtual ports correspond to RPIs at different ones of the plurality of lower tier entities. 
     
     
         30 . The program product of  claim 26 , wherein applying data handling comprises applying traffic shaping to the data traffic. 
     
     
         31 . The program product of  claim 26 , wherein applying data handling comprises applying rate-limiting to the data traffic. 
     
     
         32 . The program product of  claim 26 , wherein the program code causes the master switch to queue data traffic to the plurality of virtual ports and apply data handling to the data traffic based on service tags specified by the data traffic.