Integrated Multiserver Platforms

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for multiserver platforms. In some embodiments, a packet from an external network is received in a first switch. The first switch is in a first multiserver platform in which multiple servers communicate with the external network via the first switch. The first switch transmits the packet to a central switch to forward the packet to a second switch in a second multiserver platform. The central switch communicates with the external network via the first switch in the multiserver platform.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a first multiserver platform that comprises:
 a first plurality of servers; and 
 a first switch in communication with an external network and the first plurality of servers, wherein the first plurality of servers communicate with the external network via the first switch in the first multiserver platform, wherein the first switch comprises:
 processing circuitry that receives a packet from the external network; and 
 processing circuitry that transmits the packet to a central switch to forward the packet to a second switch, wherein the second switch is in a second multiserver platform that comprises a second plurality of servers. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first switch in the first multiserver platform comprises:
 processing circuitry that receives a second packet from the external network; and   processing circuitry that transmits the second packet to at least one of the first plurality of servers in the first multiserver platform.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first switch in the first multiserver platform further comprises:
 processing circuitry that receives a second packet from the central switch; and   processing circuitry that transmits the second packet to the external network.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the second packet originates from at least one of the second plurality of servers in the second multiserver platform. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central switch communicates with the external network via the first switch in the first multiserver platform. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second switch in the second multiserver platform communicates with the external network via the central switch and the first switch in the first multiserver platform. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first switch is a switch blade, and wherein at least one of the first plurality of servers is a blade server. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, in a first switch, a packet from an external network, wherein the first switch is in a first multiserver platform that comprises a first plurality of servers, wherein the first plurality of servers communicates with the external network via the first switch; and   transmitting, using the first switch, the packet to a central switch to forward the packet to a second switch, wherein the second switch is in a second multiserver platform that comprises a second plurality of servers, and wherein the central switch communicates with the external network via the first switch in the first multiserver platform.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, in the first switch, a second packet from the external network; and   transmitting, using the first switch, the second packet to at least one of the first plurality of servers in the first multiserver platform.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, in the first switch, a second packet from the central switch; and   transmitting, using the first switch, the second packet to the external network.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second packet originates from at least one of the second plurality of servers in the second multiserver platform. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the packet is received from the external network on a first communication link, and wherein the packet is transmitted to the central switch on a second communication link. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second communication link is bi-directional. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first switch communicates with the external network and the central switch simultaneously. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first switch is a switch blade, and wherein the plurality of servers are a plurality of blade servers coupled to the switch blade via a single backplane. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a program executable by a first switch in a first multiserver platform, the program comprising:
 code that causes a first packet from an external network to be received in the first switch;   code that causes a second packet from the external network to be received in the first switch;   code that causes the first packet to be transmitted by the first switch to at least one of a first plurality of servers in the first multiserver platform, wherein the first plurality of servers communicate with the external network via the first switch; and   code that causes the second packet to be transmitted by the first switch to a central switch to forward the packet to a second switch, wherein the second switch is in a second multiserver platform that comprises a second plurality of servers, wherein the second plurality of servers communicate with the external network via the first switch in the first multiserver platform.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the program further comprises:
 code that causes a third packet from the central switch to be received in the first switch; and   code that causes the third packet to be transmitted by the first switch to the external network.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the code that causes the first packet to be received is configured to be executed simultaneously with the code that causes the third packet to be received. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the third packet originates from the second switch in the second multiserver platform. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the third packet originates from a third switch in a third multiserver platform.