Hash-based routing for scalable datacenters

Abstract

Most datacenter networks are based on specialized edge-core topologies, which are costly to build, difficult to maintain and consume too much power. We propose enhancements to layer-two (L2) Ethernet switches to enable multipath L2 routing in scalable datacenters. Our hash-based routing approach reuses and minimally extends hardware structures in high-volume switches, while exposing a powerful network management interface for multipath load balancing, QoS differentiation, and resilience to faults.