Abstract: Methods and systems for a network device. The network device includes a temporary memory storage device having a plurality of storage locations that are used to store packets received by a plurality of sub-ports. The network device includes a cut-through estimation circuit that estimates a cut-through threshold value based on which a certain portion of a packet has to be received and stored at one of the plurality of storage locations before the packet can be processed by one of the sub-ports that received the frame. The cut-through threshold value varies based on an operating speed of a network link the packet is received on, an operating speed of a network link the packet is transmitted on, and a protocol used for receiving and transmitting the packet.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing task management requests are provided. A cache client adapter receives a task management request other than an abort for a logical storage object owned by a cache owner adapter and determines if there are any pending input/output (I/O) requests associated with the storage object. The cache client adapter sends an abort request to the cache owner adapter when there are pending I/O requests and sends the task management request directly to a controller that manages a storage device whose space is presented as the logical storage object; and sends only the task management request to the controller when there are no pending I/O requests for the logical storage object.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically creating a cluster are provided. The method includes discovering at least a first and a second intelligent storage adapter, determining if the first or the second intelligent storage adapter is operating within a cluster, and when neither the first or the second intelligent storage adapter are a part of any cluster, then automatically generating a cluster with a unique identifier and assigning one of the first or the second intelligent storage adapters as a master of the cluster.

Abstract: A network device and associated methods are provided. The network device includes a routing module having a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) module maintained for storing a plurality of entries for routing frames that are received for a plurality of sub-ports complying with a plurality of protocols; a steering action memory that stores a plurality of steering action codes associated with the plurality of TCAM entries for tossing frames, rejecting frames and providing them to a processor for the network device, indicating that a destination is valid, and indicating to use another routing mechanism; and a steering mechanism that is used when a received frame information does not match with the TCAM entries and the received frame is of a certain protocol type.

Abstract: Methods and systems for network communications are disclosed. In particular methods and systems for providing communications rate controls from remote sources are provided. For example, a machine-implemented method includes: managing, at a target, a request to transmit (R2T) queue and an associated data credit counter; incrementing the data credit counter based on an allowed transfer rate; selecting an R2T packet from the R2T queue; determining if the R2T packet should be sent based on the data credit counter; sending the R2T packet to an initiator when the R2T packet indicates data transfer less than the data credit counter; and decrementing the data credit counter based on the R2T packet when the R2T packet is sent.

Abstract: Method and system for performing an equalization process between a remote PCI (Peripheral Component Interface)-Express device and a local PCI-Express device are provided. The use of a forced coefficient in a third phase of the equalization process is enabled. When the remote PCI-Express has made a preset request, then the local PCI-Express device sends the preset request back to the remote PCI-Express device with the forced coefficient.

Abstract: Certain of the present embodiments provide a mechanism to enable ports of initiator devices in a network to receive notifications of port state change that relate only to ports of target devices in the network. Certain others of the present embodiments provide a mechanism to enable ports of initiator devices to determine whether a notification of port state change pertains to a port of an initiator device or a target device.

Abstract: Machine-implemented method for a network device is provided. A temperature (T) of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for the network device is compared with a first threshold value. A receive buffer for the network device is placed in an active state, when T is below the first threshold value, and then increasing available credit to store information at the receive buffer. T is also compared with a second threshold value and when T has reached or exceeded the second threshold value, one or more receive buffers are placed in a reduced power state when one or more receive buffers are not currently storing any information.

Abstract: A network device is provided. The network device includes a port complex having a plurality of ports configured to operate at different operating speeds for sending and receiving information complying with different protocols. The network device further includes a processor complex having a plurality of processors for processing information complying with different protocols and received by the plurality of ports; and a message queuing system (MQS) for managing messages for the plurality of processors regarding the received information complying with different protocols. Each processor can process information complying with any of the different protocols.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing a shared computing task are provided. The method includes configuring a shared computing task among a plurality of computing nodes each executing an application for performing the shared computing task; generating intermediate data by each of the plurality of computing nodes during a mapping process for performing the shared computing task; capturing the intermediate data for each of the plurality of computing nodes; storing the intermediate data for each of the plurality of computing nodes at a key-value data store at a shared storage device that enables searching for the intermediate data using a key-value pair; and using the key-value pair to obtain the intermediate data when needed for a reduce process of the shared computing task.

Abstract: A network device and associated methods are provided. The device includes a plurality of ports capable of communicating using a plurality of protocols; a light emitting diode (LED) circuit configured to display at least two different colors; and a processor configured to send a signal to the LED package to select between the two different colors. The selected color depends on the protocol used by a network device port to communicate with the other network device port.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a network device are provided. The network device includes a storage protocol controller having a port for interfacing with a storage area network (SAN) based storage device; a processor executing instructions for managing a local storage device that is configured to operate as a caching device for a computing device. The local storage device is used to store a recovery copy of an operating system of the computing device, where the recovery copy is accessible via a processor executable basic/input output (BIOS) utility.

Abstract: Methods and systems for routing frames are provided. A routing module of a network device stores a destination address for a virtual machine with a virtual bridge identifier associated with a virtual bridge. The virtual bridge identifier is associated with a queue pair that is used by the virtual machine to send and receive information using the virtual bridge. The network device also includes a port connected to a link for sending and receiving the information and the virtual bridge is associated with the port. The routing module is used to determine the destination of a frame whether the frame is sent by an external device or the virtual machine.

Abstract: A network device that includes a storage protocol controller having a port for interfacing with a storage area network (SAN) based storage device and another network device operating within a cluster is provided. The network device also includes a processor executing instructions for managing a local storage device that is configured to operate as a caching device for a computing device. The network device is configured to operate as a host bus adapter and a storage controller for managing storage space at the local storage device and the SAN-based storage device.

Abstract: Method and system for configuring a plurality of virtual networks using a plurality of physical resources of a network device is provided. A hierarchical data structure having a plurality of layers for representing an instance of the network device is generated. A first layer represents the plurality of virtual networks; a second layer represents a plurality of virtual network protocols that are used by the plurality of networks; and a third layer represent the physical resources that are used by the plurality of virtual networks for communicating with other devices. The plurality of virtual networks is validated by using the data structure to check if there is any conflict in using the selected physical resources.

Abstract: A system having a first computing device interfacing with a first adapter and a second computing device interfacing with a second adapter, where the first adapter and the second adapter operate within a cluster is provided. The first adapter processes an I/O request, when the first adapter is a cache owner of a logical entity presented to the first computing device, otherwise the request is sent to the second adapter by a storage protocol controller of the first adapter and the second adapter as the cache owner of the logical entity processes the request.

Abstract: Method and system for migrating information from a source storage to a destination storage is provided. The method includes (a) receiving a migration request to migrate information from the source storage to the destination storage; wherein a router receives the migration request; (b) placing a reservation on the source storage such that no other system can write to the source storage, once the migration of information from the source storage to the destination storage is initiated; wherein the router sends a reservation request to a system that manages the source storage and the system grants the reservation request to the router; (c) migrating information from the source storage to the destination storage, while the reservation is placed on the source storage; and (d) releasing the reservation after migration is completed in step (c).

Abstract: Systems and methods for data storage and caching in a system including virtual machines is disclosed. In an embodiment, a machine implemented method includes mapping a plurality of virtual hard drives to a logical unit number (LUN) of a storage system, each virtual hard drive including a logical block address (LBA) range of the storage system LUN; storing the mapping in a caching module data structure; determining that one of the virtual hard drives should be cached; and updating the caching module data structure to indicate that the LBA range associated with the one of the virtual hard drives should be cached.

Abstract: Methods and systems for ignoring protocol defined framing errors at a peripheral device coupled to a processor via an interconnect system are provided. When a framing error violation does not affect data transfer to the peripheral device or from the peripheral device, the protocol defined link training sequence is disabled to ignore the framing error and the peripheral device continues to process data regardless of the framing error.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a read ahead operation are provided. The method includes maintaining a data structure by an adapter to track whether data blocks associated with a logical unit number (LUN) have been written or modified; extracting a starting logical block address (LBA) for executing a read request for reading data stored using the LUN; generating a LBA range for a read ahead operation that is used to predict data that may be read subsequent to the read request; determining if blocks associated with the LBA range for the read ahead operation have been written or modified; only reading ahead the blocks associated with the LBA range, when the blocks have been written to or modified; and temporarily storing the read ahead data at a cache LUN maintained by the adapter.