Learning a mac address

Abstract

A method and an edge device for learning a Medium Access Control (MAC) address are provided. According to an example, based on a request message from a first node to a second node, a session cache item is created in the edge device. The session cache item includes: IP addresses of the first and second nodes, and a first relationship between a MAC address of the first node and an output port corresponding to the first node. Based on a response message from the second node to the first node, the session cache item is updated to include a second relationship between a MAC address of the second node and an output port corresponding to the second node. The first and second relationships are then provided to a data plane of the edge device to facilitate data packet forwarding between the first node and the second node.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method for learning a Medium Access Control (MAC) address, applied in a hardware component, the method comprising:
 based on a receipt of a request message from a first node to a second node, creating by the hardware component a session cache item, wherein the session cache item includes a first relationship between a MAC address of the first node and a first port of an edge device through which the request message was received;   based on a receipt of a response message from the second node to the first node, updating, by the hardware component, the session cache item, wherein the updated session cache item further includes a second relationship between a MAC address of the second node and a second port of the edge device through which the response message was received; and   forwarding data packets between the first node and the second node using the first relationship and the second relationship.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: forwarding, by the hardware component, the response message to the first node via the first port indicated in the session cache item. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 advertising a local MAC address in the session cache item through the first port in the session cache item;   receiving a remote MAC address advertised by another hardware component; and   providing the first relationship and the second relationship to a data plane of the hardware component to facilitate data packet forwarding between the first node and the second node.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 after the session cache item is created to include the first relationship, changing the session cache item to a first state indicating that a MAC address learning session is under establishment; and   after the session cache item is updated with the second relationship, updating the session cache item from the first state to a second state indicating that the MAC address learning session has been established,   wherein the first relationship and the second relationship are provided to a data plane of the hardware component when the session cache item is in the second state.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving a message broadcasted by a migrated node;   finding, in local session cache items, a session cache item containing an IP address of the migrated node; and   responsive to the found session cache item being in the first state, updating the found session cache item according to a port through which the message from the migrated node was received, and responsive to the found session cache item being in the second state, deleting the found session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a local node of the hardware component, and updating the found session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a remote node of the hardware component.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein updating the found session cache item according to the port through which the message from the migrated node was received comprises:
 responsive to a determination that the found session cache item does not contain a MAC address of the migrated node, adding the MAC address of the migrated node and an output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the found session cache item, and updating the session cache item to the second state; and   responsive to a determination that the found session cache item contains the MAC address of the migrated node, updating the output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the session cache item to the port through which the message was received.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the updating the session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a remote node of the hardware component comprises:
 in response to a determination that an output port corresponding to a MAC address of the migrated node in the found session cache item is a local port, deleting the found session cache item; and   in response to a determination that the output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the found session cache item is a port corresponding to a link between the hardware component and a remote hardware component, updating the output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the session cache item to the port corresponding to the link receiving the message.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 when the session cache item is changed to the first state, starting a first timer of the session cache item to indicate that the session cache item is in the first state;   when the session cache item is updated from the first state to the second state, stopping the first timer, and starting a second timer of the session cache item to indicate that the session cache item is in the second state; and   in response to a determination that the first timer or the second timer expires, deleting the session cache item corresponding to the timer that expires, wherein an expiry time of the first timer is irrelevant to an expiry time of the second timer.   
     
     
         24 . A hardware component comprising:
 a first hardware capturing unit to capture a request message sent from a first node to a second node, and create a session cache item based on the captured request message, wherein the session cache item includes a first relationship between a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the first node and a first port of an edge device through which the request message was received;   a second hardware capturing unit to capture a response message sent from the second node to the first node, and update the session cache item based on the captured response message, wherein the updated session cache item further includes a second relationship between a MAC address of the second node and a second port of the edge device through which the response message was received; and   a forwarding unit to forward data packets between the first node and the second node using the first relationship and the second relationship.   
     
     
         25 . The hardware component of  claim 24 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to forward the response message to the first node via the first port indicated in the session cache item. 
     
     
         26 . The hardware component of  claim 24 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
 advertise a local MAC address in the session cache item through a port in the session cache item;   receive a remote MAC address advertised by another hardware component; and   provide the first relationship and the second relationship to a data plane of the hardware component to facilitate data packet forwarding between the first node and the second node.   
     
     
         27 . The hardware component of  claim 24 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
 after the session cache item is created to include the first relationship, change the session cache item to a first state indicating that a MAC address learning session is under establishment; and   after the session cache item is updated with the second relationship, update the session cache item from the first state to a second state indicating that the MAC address learning session has been established,   wherein the first relationship and the second relationship are provided to a data plane of the hardware component when the session cache item is in the second state.   
     
     
         28 . The hardware component of  claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
 receive a message broadcasted by a migrated node;   find, in local session cache items, a session cache item containing an IP address of the migrated node; and   responsive to a determination that the found session cache item is in the first state, update the found session cache item according to a port through which the message from the migrated node was received, and responsive to a determination that the found session cache item is in the second state, delete the found session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a local node of the hardware component, and update the found session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a remote node of the hardware component.   
     
     
         29 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause a hardware component to:
 based on a receipt of a request message from a first node to a second node, create a session cache item, wherein the session cache item includes a first relationship between a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the first node and a first port of an edge device through which the request message was received;   based on a receipt of a response message from the second node to the first node, update the session cache item, wherein the updated session cache item further includes a second relationship between a MAC address of the second node and a second port of the edge device through which the response message was received; and   forward data packets between the first node and the second node using the first relationship and the second relationship.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
 advertise a local MAC address in the session cache item through a port in the session cache item;   receive a remote MAC address advertised by another hardware component; and   provide the first relationship and the second relationship to a data plane of the hardware component to facilitate data packet forwarding between the first node and the second node.   
     
     
         31 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
 after the session cache item is created to include the first relationship, change the session cache item to a first state indicating that a MAC address learning session is under establishment; and   after the session cache item is updated with the second relationship, update the session cache item from the first state to a second state indicating that the MAC address learning session has been established,   wherein the first relationship and the second relationship are provided to a data plane of the hardware component when the session cache item is in the second state.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
 receive a message broadcasted by a migrated node;   find, in local session cache items, a session cache item containing an IP address of the migrated node; and   responsive to a determination that the found session cache item is in the first state, update the found session cache item according to a port through which the message from the migrated node was received, and responsive to a determination that the found session cache item is in the second state, delete the found session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a local node of the hardware component, and update the found session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a remote node of the hardware component.   
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein to update the found session cache item according to the port through which the message from the migrated node was received, the processor is to:
 responsive to a determination that the found session cache item does not contain a MAC address of the migrated node, add the MAC address of the migrated node and an output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the found session cache item, and updating the session cache item to the second state; and   responsive to a determination that the found session cache item contains the MAC address of the migrated node, update the output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the session cache item to the port through which the message was received.   
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein to update the session cache item in response to the migrated node being currently a remote node of the hardware component, the processor is to:
 in response to a determination that an output port corresponding to a MAC address of the migrated node in the found session cache item is a local port, delete the found session cache item; and   in response to a determination that the output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the found session cache item is a port corresponding to a link between the hardware component and a remote hardware component, update the output port corresponding to the MAC address of the migrated node in the session cache item to the port corresponding to the link receiving the message.   
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions further cause to the processor to:
 in response to a determination that the session cache item is changed to the first state, start a first timer of the session cache item to indicate that the session cache item is in the first state;   in response to a determination that the session cache item is updated from the first state to the second state, stop the first timer, and start a second timer of the session cache item to indicate that the session cache item is in the second state; and   in response to a determination that the first timer or the second timer expires, delete the session cache item corresponding to the timer that expires, wherein an expiry time of the first timer is irrelevant to an expiry time of the second timer.