US 12,273,219 B2
Efficient multicast packet forwarding in a distributed tunnel fabric
Tathagata Nandy, Bangalore (IN); Chethan Chavadibagilu Radhakrishnabhat, Bangalore (IN); Thomas Samuel, Bangalore (IN); and Priyam De, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Spring, TX (US)
Filed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Spring, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/072,019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0179025 A1, May 30, 2024
Int. Cl. H04L 12/46 (2006.01); H04L 45/02 (2022.01); H04L 45/16 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 12/4633 (2013.01) [H04L 45/04 (2013.01); H04L 45/16 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
maintaining, by a first switch, a first tunnel with a second switch in an overlay tunnel fabric that includes the first and second switches, wherein encapsulation of a packet sent via the overlay tunnel fabric is initiated and terminated within the overlay tunnel fabric;
maintaining, by the first switch, a second tunnel with a third switch in an external network that excludes the first and second switches;
distinguishing the first and second tunnels as intra-fabric and inter-fabric tunnels, respectively, of the overlay tunnel fabric; and
in response to receiving a multicast control packet via the first tunnel:
identifying the second tunnel as the inter-fabric tunnel; and
forwarding the multicast control packet via the second tunnel, wherein a respective multicast control packet received from the first tunnel is precluded from being forwarded on intra-fabric tunnels of the overlay tunnel fabric.