Patent ID: 8151318
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a server device configured to be used in a Switching Fabric, the server device comprising a first element configured to maintain a virtual Domain_ID for the server device, the virtual Domain_ID identifying the server device within the Switching Fabric, wherein the Switching Fabric comprises a plurality of security server devices, the server device is one of the plurality of security server devices and the virtual Domain_ID comprises a common virtual security server Domain_ID used by each of the plurality of security server devices, wherein each of the plurality of security server devices is configured to maintain a copy of a security database for the Switching Fabric, and wherein the plurality of security server devices advertise their identities to other devices in the Switching Fabric using the common virtual security server Domain_ID, the common virtual security server Domain_ID sent to the other devices in a plurality of link state records (LSRs), wherein using the common virtual security server Domain_ID in the LSRs facilitates load balancing of security server queries from the other devices across the plurality of security server devices, the security server queries directed to the security database.