Cisco Technology, Inc.

Malik Maiga

Sanjay Kumar Hooda

Anand Akella

James Zhijiang Shen

Sheshendra Kumar

Qinyu Chen

Techniques are disclosed for determining a preferred hashing algorithm for load balancing physical interface utilization in a network device, such as a switch, configured with a port-channel architecture. While a current hashing algorithm is being applied to network traffic flows, a forwarding engine of the network device retrieves snapshot data of each flow and evaluates the flows against other hashing algorithms. The forwarding engine, for each hashing algorithm result, calculates statistical measures, such as mean, variance, and coefficient of variation. These measures are used to determine the preferred hashing algorithm to subsequently be applied. Once determined, the networking device may notify a user (e.g., a system administrator) of the algorithm.

Method and apparatus for distributing EtherChannel load based on variance

Embodiments described herein achieve even traffic load-balancing among physical ports in a port channel with 2ports of a networking switch. Embodiments may derive an upper limit of hash values given all the possible number of ports within a port channel. Based on the determined upper limit of hash values, embodiments provide the steps to evenly distribute hash values among ports in a port channel when adding or deleting a port to achieve even traffic load-balancing among ports in a port channel all the time.

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Paris, France

Malik Maiga