A method and device for realizing automatic stacking of network devices are disclosed. According to an example of the method, when a network device determines its device role, the network device may send a first neighbor discovery message to a neighbor device and receive a second neighbor discovery message sent by the neighbor device. Next, if it determines that a topological structure between the network device and the neighbor device changes according to the second neighbor discovery message, the network device may determine whether a stacking condition to trigger stacking the network device and the neighbor device is satisfied or not. If the stacking condition is satisfied, the network device may further determine a stacking configuration for stacking the network device and the neighbor device. Then the network device may stack the network device with the neighbor device according to the stacking configuration.

A decentralized Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture configured for onboard avionics processing eliminates centralized computing cabinets and distributes avionics processing capabilities to a network of smart switching devices positioned throughout the aircraft, each smart switch including a multicore processing environment (MCPE) for generalized application hosting in addition to the switching elements. The smart switching network can be scaled up or down for smaller or larger aircraft, or organically grown by adding more processing components. Additional real-time multicore processors may be located in smart remote data concentrators (RDC) for handling I/O and routing of network data between external remote units and aircraft systems and the hosted applications on the smart switches. The real-time environments executing on the smart RDCs may be reserved for low-latency closed-loop functions, or may host additional general-purpose avionics processing.

A public network links a plurality of nodes, each associated with at least one network address. A transport network connects a plurality of routers, each of which is also connected to the public network. A database holds geographical location information associated with respective network addresses on the public network. The database is used to determine which of the routers is closest to geographical locations associated with the network addresses. Information is stored that identifies these closest routers. The information is suitable for use in a routing protocol for routing data packets through the transport network to a destination outside the transport network.

This application discloses a packet processing method and an LSR. The method includes: receiving, by an Ingress LSR of a first MPLS tunnel, a first notification packet that is based on an IGP, where the first notification packet includes an ELC flag, which is used to indicate that the first Egress LSR has ELC; after learning from the first notification packet that the first Egress LSR has ELC, inserting a label into a first packet, to generate a second packet, where the label forms an MPLS label stack, which includes, from bottom to top, a first EL, a first ELI, and a first TL; and sending the second packet to the first Egress LSR through the first MPLS tunnel. According to the solutions of this invention, a Transit LSR of the first MPLS tunnel may perform load balancing when forwarding the second packet.

A method for configuring router can include identifying from a first router, neighbor routers in a router network by passing messages on the router network asking to establish a relationship with the neighbor routers. A plurality of configuration modules and associated plurality of rules including self-configuration information for configuring the first router, are received from the identified neighbor routers at the first router. A router role associated with the first router is determined. The determined router role is matched with one or more router roles associated with the plurality of configuration modules. A configuration module is selected from the plurality of configuration modules based on the matching. Using the first router, the rules associated with the selected configuration module are applied in order to self-configure the first router for use in forwarding messages through the router network.

In a load sharing method and a router device, each of the router devices in a load sharing relationship obtains load sharing information of all downstream router devices that are in a load sharing relationship with the router device, and when determining load sharing information of the router device, the router device determines the load sharing information of the router device according to the load sharing information of all the downstream router devices that are in a load sharing relationship with the router device, so that a disturbance factor of the router device is different from disturbance factors of all the downstream router devices that are in a load sharing relationship with the router device. Therefore, a coupling degree of load sharing information of all the router devices in a load sharing relationship in the network is reduced, and load sharing at all levels is even.

Techniques are described for establishing a segment routed label switched path (LSP) regardless of whether a router along the shortest path is not enabled for segment routing. For example, a resource reservation LSP (e.g., a resource reservation protocol (RSVP) LSP) is established across the router that is not enabled for segment routing, such that the segment routed LSP may be established to tunnel through the resource reservation LSP. For example, when a centralized controller receives a request to establish a path using segment routing, one or more routers along the shortest path may not be enabled for segment routing. Instead of rejecting the request to establish the segment routed LSP in response to determining that one or more routers in a selected path are not enabled for segment routing, the controller may establish a resource reservation LSP to tunnel around the router that is not enabled for segment routing.

Technologies are provided for distributing intra-network communications evenly across routers in a multi-tier network. Routers in a middle tier of the network receive data transmissions from a router in a lower tier of the network and determine that a destination of the data transmissions is another router in the lower tier of the network. Instead of routing the data transmissions to the destination router directly, the routers in the middle tier of the network route the data transmissions to other routers in a higher tier of the network. The routers in the higher tier of the network then route the data transmissions back to routers in the middle tier of the network, distributing the data transmissions evenly across routers in the middle tier that are connected to the destination router in the lower tier.

A method, an information handling system (IHS) and a switching system for preventing communication loops in an IHS. The method includes identifying, via a controller, at least one stacking port in a first switch of a first chassis. The first switch is in communication with a second switch of a second chassis via a first link. At least one stacking port is configured as an unblocked port. Port blocking and unblocking actions are determined for the at least one stacking port. The at least one stacking port is configured based on the determined port blocking and unblocking actions and a determination is made if the first chassis is a root bridge chassis having at least one uplink port. In response to the first chassis being a root bridge chassis, a first uplink port in the first switch is configured as an unblocked port.

A method for processing state information updates. The method includes receiving, by a coordination point, a plurality of state information from a plurality of network elements; processing at least one of the plurality of state information to generate a result; and applying the result to at least one of the plurality of network elements in order to modify an operation of the at least one of the plurality of network elements.