Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for distributing EtherChannel load based on variance

US9577939B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
6References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 7, 2013
Grant dateFeb 21, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 31, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L45/24
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for determining a preferred hashing algorithm for load balancing physical interface utilization in a network device, such as a switch, configured with a port-channel architecture. While a current hashing algorithm is being applied to network traffic flows, a forwarding engine of the network device retrieves snapshot data of each flow and evaluates the flows against other hashing algorithms. The forwarding engine, for each hashing algorithm result, calculates statistical measures, such as mean, variance, and coefficient of variation. These measures are used to determine the preferred hashing algorithm to subsequently be applied. Once determined, the networking device may notify a user (e.g., a system administrator) of the algorithm.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.