Patent ID: 8406128
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of connecting computing devices in a data center, comprising: under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, the one or more computer systems executing the instructions for: providing a plurality of deployment units each comprising a first tier of edge switches and egress switches each capable of being connected to each of a second tier of spine switches of the deployment unit, each edge switch capable of being further connected to a respective set of computing devices, the spine switches connected to the edge switches, and the deployment units using only connections between tiers; determining a level of oversubscription for the deployment units at the second tier; based at least in part upon the determined level of oversubscription, reducing the number of physical connections made between each spine switch and each egress switch, the reducing resulting in available ports on each spine switch; adding additional edge switches to each deployment unit based at least in part upon the number of available ports on each spine switch in the deployment unit, the additional edge switches increasing a total number of host connections capable of being made by the deployment unit; connecting each of the edge switches and additional edge switches to each of the spine switches within each deployment unit, and connecting each of the spine switches to at least one of the egress switches within each deployment unit; and connecting the egress switches of each of the plurality of deployment units to an external network, connections for network traffic between the computing devices and the external network being only between-tier connections.