Patent ID: 8953432
Filing Date: 2015-02-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A dynamic binding protocol process, comprising: establishing a discovery-protocol based communication tunnels between forwarding elements (FEs) and respective control elements (CEs) in a network including a data plane and a control plane that are physically and logically separate, the data plane including a plurality of FEs for packet forwarding wherein each FE comprises a logical entity representing a collection of router ports of a plurality of routing devices, the control plane including a plurality of CEs for configuring, controlling, and providing routing information to one or more FEs wherein each CE comprising a logical entity instantiated at a computing device; configuring each FE of the plurality of FEs to derive source routes to the plurality of CEs using advertisement or reachability messages, where the each FE and at least one of the plurality of CE are remotely located being separated by multiple hops; configuring each CE of the plurality of CEs to derive source routes to the plurality of FEs using received advertisement or reachability messages, where the each CE and at least one of the plurality of FE are remotely located being separated by multiple hops; associating each FE with an active CE and at least one backup CE, each FE configured to route traffic in accordance with routing updates received from said active CE via either of an IP routing protocol and a communication tunnel there between; and in response to an inability of an FE to communicate with a respective active CE, selecting a respective backup CE as an active CE for said FE, said FE and said active CE communicating via a tunnel there between.