Patent ID: 9049127
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for providing service clustering in a Transparent Interconnect of Lots of Links (TRILL) network, the TRILL network comprising one or more flow distribution RBridges for distributing flows to a plurality of service nodes, each flow distribution RBridge having a virtual base identifier and one or more virtual cluster identifiers, the method comprising: maintaining N service cluster load balancing structures in a flow distribution RBridge, N being a number of service clusters, and N being ≧1; receiving a packet, the packet being encapsulated with an inner header and an outer header, the inner header including a source address and a destination address of a flow, and the outer header including an ingress RBridge identifier for one of the flow distribution RBridges in the TRILL network and an egress RBridge identifier for one of the flow distribution RBridges in the TRILL network; determining whether the egress RBridge identifier is a virtual cluster identifier or a virtual base identifier; if the egress RBridge identifier is a virtual cluster identifier, applying a hash function to a predetermined flow tuple to obtain a hash value and selecting a service node associated with the hash value from one of the N service cluster load balancing structures; and forwarding the packet to the selected service node.