Abstract: Presented are efficient systems and methods for automatically detecting and configuring network connections in Fibre Channel (FC) and similar networks. In various embodiments, this is accomplished by using an I/O module (IOM)'s fabric login (FLOGI) response or FLOGI request to identify the type of an uplink interface as either FC Gateway or FC Direct Attach, determining whether server interfaces coupled to the TOM support FCoE, and then, automatically configuring server interfaces based on the identified type of uplink interface.

Abstract: An NVMeoF gateway system includes a physical host device that communicates using a host NVMeoF protocol, and a physical target device that communicates using a target NVMeoF protocol. A networking device generates proxy host and target devices that are included in the same zone for the physical host and target devices, respectively. The networking device then converts first host NVMeoF protocol communications from the physical host device to first target NVMeoF protocol communications and provides them to the physical target device using the proxy host device, and converts second target NVMeoF protocol communications from the physical target device to second host NVMeoF protocol communications and provides them to the physical host device using the proxy target device. The first target NVMeoF protocol communications and the second host NVMeoF protocol communications configure the physical host device to exchange data with the physical target device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for handling soft zoning violations comprise assigning a first target device and an endpoint device that is coupled to a switch port of a Fibre Channel (FC) switch to a zone(s). In embodiments, in response to the endpoint device logging into the FC switch, sampled traffic that originates at the endpoint device and ingresses at the switch port may be obtained. In response to determining that the sampled traffic comprises a second traffic that is intended for a second target device that has not been assigned to the zone(s), some action to restrict the second traffic may be performed such as to restrict the non-assigned traffic and prevent devices from sending potentially harmful traffic to other devices that are not assigned to a same zone.

Abstract: A Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) network can be inexpensively extended by additional switches (220x) that do not have a full FCoE functionality, e.g. do not have full E-port functionality. The additional switches may or may not have unique Domain IDs. A virtual switch fabric can be extended by such additional switches.

Abstract: System and methods for using a discovery controller to establish network connections in a network that comprises Non-Volatile Memory Express™ over fabrics (NVMe-oF™) entities that support multicast change notifications comprise: in response to a change that affects at an NVMe-oF™ entity that has not yet established a connection with the discovery controller, generating a multicast change notification (MCN) that notifies the unconnected entity of the change and automatically communicating the MCN to the unconnected entity without requiring an explicit persistent connection to the discovery controller, e.g., to access storage ports in the network.

Abstract: A secure FC NVMe fabric communications system includes a host device having host WWPNs associated with each of its host NQNs, an NVMe target device having a target WWPNs associated with each of its target NQNs, and FC networking device(s) that couple the host device to the NVMe target device. The FC networking device(s) perform, for each host WWPN associated with the host NQNs, host login operations that register the host NQN for that host WWPN as an NVMe host, and perform, for each target WWPN associated with the target NQNs, target login operations that register the target NQN associated with that target WWPN as an NVMe target. The FC networking device(s) then provide, to the host for each host NQN, target NQN details for target NQN(s) zoned for communication with that host NQN to allow respective communication session(s) to be established between the host NQN and those target NQN(s).

Abstract: Data Center Bridge (DCB)-based path selection methods and systems reduce packet loss in a network system comprising a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) topology. In embodiments, once traffic received at a LAG node and identified as DCB traffic, links whose DCB status are identified as “up” are assigned to a LAG sub-trunk that may be used to forward the DCB traffic on the LAG trunk, while non-DCB traffic is forwarded to any member of the LAG, irrespective of DCB status. In addition, DCB traffic received from a LAG peer node, which sends traffic on an inter-node link (INL) when no DCB-enabled links to a downstream device are present, is identified as DCB traffic and forwarded on a LAG sub-trunk that comprises DCB-enabled links. An egress mask that indicates to not forward the traffic received at the LAG node on the INL may be overridden, such that DCB traffic may be forwarded.

Abstract: A Fibre Channel host onboarding system includes a Fibre Channel communication subsystem coupled to a host system in a modular computing system. The host system includes a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) device that retrieves and transmits host system onboarding information associated with the host system. The host system also includes a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) device that is coupled to the BMC device, and that receives the host system onboarding information from the BMC device and, in response, transmits a host system discovery communication that includes the host system onboarding information to the Fibre Channel communication subsystem. When the HBA device determines that a host system discovery acknowledgement communication has been received from the Fibre Channel communication subsystem, it performs Fibre Channel fabric login operations with the Fibre Channel communication system that configure the host system for Fibre Channel communications via the Fibre Channel communication subsystem.

Abstract: An ALUA/aggregated switch latency reduction system includes a switch aggregation system coupling a server system including initiator devices to a storage system including target devices. The switch aggregation system includes a respective first switch device directly coupled to each of the target devices, and a respective second switch device directly coupled to each of the initiator devices. Each second switch device identifies an initiator device it is directly connected to, and transmits a respective first communication to each of the first switch devices that identifies that directly connected initiator device. When each second switch device receives a respective second communication from each of the first switch devices that identifies its directly connected target device, it identifies the first switch device directly connected to the target device that is in a session with its directly connected initiator device and, in response, causes packets to be forwarded to that first switch device.

Abstract: An ALUA path distribution system includes host devices coupled to storage subsystems by aggregated networking devices. A first aggregated networking device snoops communications between the host devices and the storage subsystems to identify first snooped information, receives second snooped information identified by a second aggregated networking device, and uses the snooped information to build a path distribution table identifying each active-optimized path provided by the aggregated networking devices between the host devices and respective LUNs on the storage subsystems.

Abstract: An NVMeoF gateway system includes a physical host device that communicates using a host NVMeoF protocol, and a physical target device that communicates using a target NVMeoF protocol. A networking device generates proxy host and target devices that are included in the same zone for the physical host and target devices, respectively. The networking device then converts first host NVMeoF protocol communications from the physical host device to first target NVMeoF protocol communications and provides them to the physical target device using the proxy host device, and converts second target NVMeoF protocol communications from the physical target device to second host NVMeoF protocol communications and provides them to the physical host device using the proxy target device. The first target NVMeoF protocol communications and the second host NVMeoF protocol communications configure the physical host device to exchange data with the physical target device.

Abstract: A Storage Area Network (SAN) access includes a first aggregated switch device that is coupled to a host device, a Local Area Network (LAN), and a SAN, and a second aggregated switch device that is coupled to the host device, the LAN, and the SAN. The second aggregated switch device is connected to the first aggregated switch device via an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL). The second aggregated switch device detect that the ICL has become unavailable and, in response, prevents Internet Protocol traffic between the host device and the LAN while transmitting storage traffic between the host device and the SAN.

Abstract: A zone merging system includes a first FC networking device that is associated with one or more first FC networking device zones and a second FC networking device that is associated with one or more second FC networking device zones, wherein each of the one or more first and second FC networking device zones identifies a plurality of zone member devices. The second FC networking device performs limited zone merging operations subsequent to establishing a link with the first FC networking device. The limited zone merging operations include merging, via the link with first FC networking device zones, each of the second FC networking device zones that identifies at least one zone member device that is not local to the second FC networking device, while not merging each of the second FC networking device zones that identify only zone members that are local to the second FC networking device.

Abstract: An automatic fabric provisioning system includes first uplink switch device(s) associated with a first fabric, and second uplink switch device(s) associated with a second fabric. A gateway device is coupled to each of the first and second uplink switch device(s), and transmits a respective fabric login communication to each of the first uplink switch device(s) via at least one first uplink, and to each of the second uplink switch device(s) via at least one second uplink. When the gateway device receives respective first fabric login accept communication(s) from each of the uplink switch device(s) via the at least one uplink to that uplink switch device that identifies the fabric associated with that uplink switch device, it automatically associates each at least one first uplink with the first fabric, and each at least one second uplink with the second fabric.

Abstract: A Fibre Channel Forwarder (FCF) routing system includes a target device coupled to a Fibre Channel (FC) networking device via a first link, and a Fibre Channel Forwarder (FCF) device that is coupled to an initiator device via a second link, the FC networking device via a third link that is mapped to the second link, and the FC networking device via a fourth link that is mapped to the second link. The FCF device receives, via the second link, first traffic that originates from the initiator device and that is addressed to the target device. The FCF device determines, using an initiator device identifier included in the first traffic and a link mapping table, that the third link and the fourth link are mapped to the second link on which the first traffic was received and load balances the first traffic between the third link and the fourth link.

Abstract: Systems and methods for handling soft zoning violations comprise assigning a first target device and an endpoint device that is coupled to a switch port of a Fibre Channel (FC) switch to a zone(s). In embodiments, in response to the endpoint device logging into the FC switch, sampled traffic that originates at the endpoint device and ingresses at the switch port may be obtained. In response to determining that the sampled traffic comprises a second traffic that is intended for a second target device that has not been assigned to the zone(s), some action to restrict the second traffic may be performed such as to restrict the non-assigned traffic and prevent devices from sending potentially harmful traffic to other devices that are not assigned to a same zone.

Abstract: Presented are efficient systems and methods for automatically detecting and configuring network connections in Fibre Channel (FC) and similar networks. In various embodiments, this is accomplished by using an I/O module (IOM)'s fabric login (FLOGI) response or FLOGI request to identify the type of an uplink interface as either FC Gateway or FC Direct Attach, determining whether server interfaces coupled to the IOM support FCoE, and then, automatically configuring server interfaces based on the identified type of uplink interface.

Abstract: A Storage Area Network (SAN) access includes a first aggregated switch device that is coupled to a host device, a Local Area Network (LAN), and a SAN, and a second aggregated switch device that is coupled to the host device, the LAN, and the SAN. The second aggregated switch device is connected to the first aggregated switch device via an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL). The second aggregated switch device detect that the ICL has become unavailable and, in response, prevents Internet Protocol traffic between the host device and the LAN while transmitting storage traffic between the host device and the SAN.

Abstract: An ALUA path selection system includes a networking device in a networking fabric that couples a host device to a storage subsystem. The networking device receives a host device communication generated by the host device and retrieves a host device hop count that identifies a number of hops between the host device and the networking device. The networking device also receives a storage subsystem communication generated by the storage subsystem and retrieves a storage subsystem hop count that identifies a number of hops between the storage subsystem and the networking device. When the networking device receives a hop count request from the host device, it transmits the host device hop count and/or the storage subsystem hop count to the host device, and the host device uses the host device hop count and/or the storage subsystem hop count to select an active-optimized path to a LUN included in the storage subsystem.

Abstract: Data Center Bridge (DCB)-based path selection methods and systems reduce packet loss in a network system comprising a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) topology. In embodiments, once traffic received at a LAG node and identified as DCB traffic, links whose DCB status are identified as “up” are assigned to a LAG sub-trunk that may be used to forward the DCB traffic on the LAG trunk, while non-DCB traffic is forwarded to any member of the LAG, irrespective of DCB status. In addition, DCB traffic received from a LAG peer node, which sends traffic on an inter-node link (INL) when no DCB-enabled links to a downstream device are present, is identified as DCB traffic and forwarded on a LAG sub-trunk that comprises DCB-enabled links. An egress mask that indicates to not forward the traffic received at the LAG node on the INL may be overridden, such that DCB traffic may be forwarded.