Patent ID: 9055000
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: establishing, within a first network device, a first virtual integrated routing and bridging (VIRB) interface that comprises a first routing interface for a first layer two (L2) bridge domain that provides L2 connectivity for a first network local to the first network device, wherein the first routing interface is associated with a network subnet for the first network; establishing, within a second network device, a second VIRB interface that comprises a second routing interface for a second L2 bridge domain that provides L2 connectivity for a second network local to the second network device, wherein the second routing interface is associated with a network subnet for the second network, wherein the first network is not local to the second network device and the second network is not local to the first network device, wherein the network subnet for the first network and the network subnet for the second network comprise a distributed network subnet in which the network subnet for the first network and the network subnet for the second network comprise a common network subnet, and wherein the first VIRB interface and the second VIRB interface have a common gateway MAC address that identifies routable L2 traffic received by the first VIRB interface from the first L2 bridge domain or received by the second VIRB interface from the second L2 bridge domain; receiving first L2 traffic with the first network device from the first L2 bridge domain and forwarding L3 traffic encapsulated by the first L2 traffic by the first routing interface when the first L2 traffic is destined for the common gateway MAC address; and receiving second L2 traffic with the second network device from the second L2 bridge domain and forwarding L3 traffic encapsulated by the second L2 traffic by the second routing interface when the second L2 traffic is destined for the common gateway MAC address.