Abstract: A system and method of enabling a transparent Ethernet switch are disclosed. According to an aspect, a network switch is disclosed. The network switch can include a plurality of physical ports configured to communicate data via a network. The network switch can further include a memory configured to store a first forwarding database, and a plurality of aggregate zone entries within the first forwarding database. The aggregate zone entries can also include a port identifier of first port of the plurality of physical ports to be used as a transparent port within a first aggregate zone.

Abstract: A network switch includes a port coupled to a host, and a profile. The profile includes a key associated with a virtual machine on the host, and information for configuring the port for the virtual machine. The switch receives communication on another port with the key and configures the other port for the virtual machine. A method includes coupling a host with a virtual machine to a port of a network switch, receiving communications from the virtual machine on the port, and creating a profile with a key for identifying data associated with the virtual machine and with information for configuring the switch to route data associated with the virtual machine through the port, receiving communications with the key information at another port, and modifying the information to route data for the virtual machine through the other port.

Abstract: A network interface controller includes a plurality of host interfaces configured to communicate with a plurality of processing nodes, a plurality of network interfaces configured to provide network communication for the processing nodes to a network, and a shared resource configured to provide link based services and stateless offload services for the processing nodes when communicating with the network.

Abstract: A system and method of managing network connections using a link policy is disclosed. In one form, a network link management system can include a link control logic module operable to alter a first link data rate of a first link operable to communicate network traffic. The network link management system can also include a link manager coupled to the link control logic module. In one form, the link manager can be configured to initiate altering the first link data rate to a second link data rate value in response to a first link rate policy entry of the first link. The network link management system can also include a link rate policy accessible to the link manager and operable to store the link rate policy entry of the first link.

Abstract: A network switch includes a virtual local area network module that determines that a device coupled to a first switch port includes a virtual network interface. The module further identifies a virtual switch port partitioned in the first switch port associated with the virtual network interface and determines that a virtual local area network is associated with the identified virtual switch port.

Abstract: A processing node of a server rack includes a processor to generate processing node management requests and to process responses to the node management requests, and a communication module to receive the processing node management requests, to transmit over a communication link to a management controller of the server rack external to the processing node a processing node management request, to receive over the communication link from the management controller processing node management information, and to transmit the processing node management information to the processor.

Abstract: A system includes first and second processing nodes and a network switch coupled to the first and second processing nodes via respective first and second interfaces. The network switch includes a management controller coupled to the interfaces to provide management functions to the processing nodes, first and second network interfaces coupled respectively to the first and second interfaces to provide network access for the processing nodes, a message passing interface between the first processing node and the second processing node, a storage interface coupled to the first and second interfaces to provide a storage capacity to the processing nodes, and a remote component controller coupled to the interfaces.

Abstract: A remote component controller of a server rack includes a real time clock information unit to maintain real clock time and to respond to requests for real time clock information, and a communication module to receive over a communication link a request from a processing node of the server rack for real time clock information, to forward the request to the real time clock information unit, to receive from the real time clock information unit a response to the request, and to transmit the response to the request to the processing node over the communication link.

Abstract: An input/output (I/O) device includes a management controller interface, a plurality of network switching interfaces, a storage interface, a component controller interface, and a plurality of multifunction modules. The multifunction modules further include a processing node interface, a first endpoint coupled to the management controller interface, a second endpoint coupled to one of the plurality of network switching interfaces, a third endpoint coupled to a remote direct memory access (RDMA) block, a fourth endpoint coupled to the storage interface, and a fifth endpoint coupled to the component controller interface.

Abstract: A network switching device includes a macroflow sub-plane that performs packet-based routing in the network switching device and a microflow routing module that performs flow-based routing in the network switching device. The microflow routing module is separable from the network switching device and operates to provide a data packet via a software defined network agent to an SDN controller. The data packet is associated with a first unknown flow on the network switching device. The microflow routing module further operates to receive via the SDN agent a flow-based routing rule from the SDN controller and route the data packet based upon the flow-based routing rule.

Abstract: A network switching device has a hardware data plane including a macroflow sub-plane that performs packet-based routing in the network switching device, and a microflow sub-plane that performs flow-based routing in the network switching device. The network switching device receives a packet-based routing rule from a software defined networking (SDN) controller, provides the packet-based routing rule to the macroflow sub-plane, receives a flow-based routing rule from the SDN controller, and provide the flow-based routing rule to the microflow sub-plane.

Abstract: A network switch includes a first network port, a second network port, and a port virtualization module associated with the first network port. The port virtualization module determines that a device coupled to the first network port includes a first virtual network interface and provides a second virtual network interface on the first network port. The second virtual network interface is associated with the first virtual network interface. The network switch provides an aggregation zone including the second network port, the first virtual network interface, and the second virtual network interface.

Abstract: An information handling system (IHS) includes a plurality of processors that include a cache memory, and a receive side scaling (RSS) indirection table with a plurality of pointers each pointing to a processor. A network data packet received by the IHS determines a pointer to a first processor. In response, information associated with the network data packet is transferred to the cache memory of the first processor, The IHS also includes a process scheduler that moves a process associated with the network data packet from a second processor to the first processor, and RSS module that directs the process scheduler to move the process and associates the first pointer with the processor in response to directing the process scheduler. In one embodiment, the processes are virtual machines so that network packets associated with a virtual machine are processed by sending an interrupt to a processor supporting executing the virtual machine.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a plurality of processors that each includes a cache memory, and a receive side scaling (RSS) indirection table with a plurality of pointers that each points to one of the processors. A network data packet received by the information handling system determines a pointer to a first processor. In response to determining the pointer, information associated with the network data packet is transferred to the cache memory of the first processor, The information handling system also includes a process scheduler that moves a process associated with the network data packet from a second processor to the first processor, and an RSS module that directs the process scheduler to move the process and associates the first pointer with the processor in response to directing the process scheduler.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and system for loading a first and second Internet Protocol network communication stacks in an information handling system (IHS). The method and system include loading the first Internet Protocol network communication stack and creating and registering a module management kernel thread to automatically load the second Internet Protocol network stack only when called upon. The kernel thread registers with the IHS? kernel socket layer and Ethernet driver to receive notice of calls corresponding to the second Internet Protocol network communication stack. Upon receiving notice, the kernel thread loads the second Internet Protocol network communication stack and subsequently deregisters from the IHS? kernel socket layer and Ethernet driver.

Abstract: An Ethernet device includes receive buffers and transmit buffers of a port, and a processor. The buffers are each associated with a respective class of service. The processor operates to determine a current buffer utilization in a receive buffer, determine that the current buffer utilization is different than a buffer threshold for the receive buffer, determine a data rate limit for the class of service associated with the receive buffer based upon the difference between the current buffer utilization and the buffer threshold, and send a data rate limit frame to another device coupled to the port. The data rate limit frame includes the data rate limit for the class of service.

Abstract: A method for determining the offload type for the processing of the protocol of a network connection is disclosed. An offload policy manager in a server node determines the offload type on the basis of a number of factors, including the application type of the network connection, the traffic priority of the network connection, and the port of the network connection. After the offload policy manager selects the offload type of the network connection, the offload policy manager identifies the offload type to the offload engine, which processes the protocol of the network connection according to the offload type selected by the offload policy manager. The offload policy manager is able to access a number of application-specific tables. The offload policy manager selects an offload type by cross-referencing on an application-specific table the traffic priority of the network connection against the port of the network connection.

Abstract: A method of configuring a port on a network device includes receiving a frame of information, determining that the frame includes maximum transmission unit (MTU) information, and configuring a prioritized receive queue on the port with an MTU size based on the MTU information. The MTU size is different than another MTU size of another prioritized receive queue on the port. A network interface includes a port, a de-multiplexer coupled to an output or the port, and prioritized receive queues that each have an MTTU size. A first prioritized receive queue has an MTU size different than a second prioritized receive queue.

Abstract: A system and method of enabling a transparent Ethernet switch are disclosed. According to an aspect, a network switch is disclosed. The network switch can include a plurality of physical ports configured to communicate data via a network. The network switch can further include a memory configured to store a first forwarding database, and a plurality of aggregate zone entries within the first forwarding database. The aggregate zone entries can also include a port identifier of first port of the plurality of physical ports to be used as a transparent port within a first aggregate zone.

Abstract: A system and method of enabling a transparent Ethernet switch are disclosed. According to an aspect, a network switch is disclosed. The network switch can include a plurality of physical ports configured to communicate data via a network. The network switch can further include a memory configured to store a first forwarding database, and a plurality of aggregate zone entries within the first forwarding database. The aggregate zone entries can also include a port identifier of first port of the plurality of physical ports to be used as a transparent port within a first aggregate zone.