Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

Subramanian Muthukumar

Tathagata Nandy

Chethan Chavadibagilu Radhakrishnabhat

Anil Raj

A system for facilitating efficient multicast programming in a switch is provided. During operation, the system can parse a multicast data structure that can map an ingress interface, a source, and a multicast group to a set of egress interfaces. Based on the data structure, the system can generate a cache that can map an egress interface to an ingress interface indicated in the data structure. Upon receiving a join request via a first interface, the system can look up the first interface in the cache. If the first interface matches a cache entry, the system can identify an ingress interface from the cache entry. The system can then program, in the data structure, a route entry with the first interface as an egress interface and the ingress interface. Subsequently, if a multicast data packet matches the route entry, the system can forward the packet via the first interface.

Efficient programming of multicast routes in forwarding hardware

A first network device in a network is provided. During operation, the first network device can elect the first network device as a designated forwarder (DF) of multicast traffic in a subnet for a Rendezvous Point (RP) of a multicast group. Here, the first network device can operate in conjunction with a second network device as a virtual gateway device of the subnet. The second network device can be elected as another DF for the RP. The first network device can determine whether the first network device is elected as a forwarding device based on a selection parameter. Upon determining that the first network device is elected as the forwarding device, the first network device can program, in the forwarding hardware, a forwarding entry for forwarding the multicast traffic. The first network device can then forward multicast traffic associated with the multicast group based on the forwarding entry.

Efficiently forwarding bidirectional multicast traffic at a virtual gateway device

During operation, a layer-3 (L3) router can receive a trace query to trace multicast paths associated with a multicast group. In response to detecting a layer-2 (L2) switch coupled to the L3 router, the L3 router can construct a request packet and send the request packet to the coupled L2 switch. The request packet comprises a first data block indicating that the request packet is an L2 multicast trace request, thereby causing the L2 switch to propagate the request packet to downstream L2 switches until the request packet reaches a last-hop L2 switch. The L3 router can receive, from the last-hop L2 switch, a reply packet responsive to the L2 multicast trace request, the reply packet comprising one or more data blocks, with each data block comprising information about an L2 switch or client device present on a traversed multicast path for the multicast group.

Multicast datapath tracing in layer-2 networks

A system for multicast traffic management in an overlay tunnel fabric is provided. The system can operate a first switch and a second switch of the fabric as part of a virtual switch. The virtual switch can operate as a gateway for the fabric. The system can efficiently deploy a rendezvous point (RP) for a multicast group at the first switch. During operation, the system can determine whether to synchronize a registration packet associated with the multicast group with the second switch based on a type of a first ingress connection associated with the registration packet. The system can then determine whether to receive subsequent registration packets for the multicast group based on the type of the first ingress connection and reception of a join request for the multicast group. The type of a respective connection indicates whether the connection includes an overlay tunnel.

Multicast rendezvous point deployment in a virtual gateway of a distributed tunnel fabric

A system for multicast packet management in a first switch in an overlay tunnel fabric is provided. The system can operate the first switch as part of a virtual switch in conjunction with a second switch of the fabric. The virtual switch can operate as a gateway for the fabric. During operation, the system can receive a join request for a multicast group. The system can then determine whether to forward the join request to the second switch based on a type of a first ingress connection of the join request. Upon receiving a data packet for the multicast group, the system can determine how to forward the data packet based on respective types of a second ingress connection and an egress connection of the data packet. The type of a respective connection can indicate whether the connection includes an overlay tunnel.

Multicast packet management for a virtual gateway of a distributed tunnel fabric

The present disclosure relates a system and a method of identifying network faults residing in an underlay network. A network device initiating fault analysis sends a query message through a tunnel interface present in an overlay network configured over an underlay network. While an upstream interface is a network tunnel having a first end and a second end, a unicast path from the first end to the second end of the network tunnel is traced using a network route analysis function. Reachability of a destination device present on the second end of the network tunnel is identified. An output of the network route analysis function is appended with an output of a multicast network connectivity determining function to produce an appended result that is shared with the network device initiating fault analysis.

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Bengaluru, India

Subramanian Muthukumar