Abstract: A data center includes a blade server rack with a switch device in communication with a plurality of servers. To process a frame, the switch device determines, from content in a frame header by the switch device, a port through which to forward the frame to a server. The switch device inserts a value into a particular field, for example, a VLAN (virtual Local Area Network) tag, in the frame header before forwarding the frame. The server performs a specific action related to processing the frame based on the value inserted by the switch device into the particular field in the frame header. The server can modify the value in the particular field of the frame header before returning the frame to the switch device, with the switch device performing a specific action based on the value in the particular field of the frame header as modified by the server.

Abstract: An improved system and method for network switching that provides the ability to automatically and seamlessly migrate policies for network hosts under certain conditions to local or remote switch ports. The improved switch automatically migrates switch policies for virtual and physical hosts from a source port to a destination port when hosts have been physically moved or replaced. For elements that have failed, the improved switch also migrates host network policies for both physical hosts and virtual machines when the old host network policy will maintain serviceability of the element when applied to the new port.

Abstract: A switch device includes a packet-forwarding table for providing traffic management across servers in a server group. Each table entry maps a hash value to a server in the server group. A hash value is computed from data in one or more fields in the header of a received packet. The computed hash value is used as an index into the packet-forwarding table to access a table entry and to identify from the table entry the server in the server group to which the table entry maps the computed hash value. The switch device forwards the packet to the identified server. Implementing traffic management decisions in hardware enables packet switching at the line rate of the switch ports. In addition, the hardware-based traffic management performed by the switch device eliminates session tables and the memory to store them, enabling the switch device to handle an unlimited number of client connections.

Abstract: A data center includes a switch device, an initiating system, and first and second computing systems. A frame is received at an ingress port of the switch device from the initiating system. The frame requires processing sequentially by the first and second computing systems. Identified, in response to information carried in the frame, is a first egress port through which to forward the frame to the first computer system. The frame is received in return from the first computing system after the first computing system completes processing the frame. In response to information carried in the frame received from the first computing system, a second egress port is identified through which to forward the frame to the second computer system. The frame is forwarded to the second computer system through the second egress port for processing by the second computing system before the frame is returned to the initiating system.

Abstract: A switch device includes a packet forwarding table for providing load balancing across servers in a server group. Each table entry maps a hash value to a server in the server group. A hash value can be computed from the destination MAC address, destination IP address, and destination service port in the header of a received packet. The packet forwarding table is searched to find an entry with a hash value that matches the computed hash value and to identify the server to which the matching hash value maps. The switch device forwards the packet to the identified server. Implementing load-balancing decisions in hardware enables packet switching at the line rate of the switch ports. In addition, the hardware-based load balancing performed by the switch device eliminates session tables and the memory to store them, enabling the switch device to handle an unlimited number of client connections.

Abstract: Described is a rack-switch including a rack and a plurality of blade server chassis within the rack. Each blade server chassis has a plurality of server blades in communication with at least one switch. Each switch includes a plurality of external ports. At least two of the external ports of each switch are inter-switch link (ISL) ports. The rack-switch also includes a plurality of inter-switch links. Each inter-switch link electrically connects one ISL port of one of the switches to one ISL port of another of the switches. The plurality of inter-switch links interconnects the switches such that the switches are daisy chained in a loop. The inter-switch links convey Ethernet packets representing server-to-server communications between server blades of different blade server chassis.

Abstract: A data center includes a physical host machine operating a virtualized entity and a network switch having a physical port connected to the physical host machine. To configure the network switch, the network switch has a management module that acquires information about the virtualized entity operating on the physical host machine. The network switch associates the acquired information about the virtualized entity with the physical port, assigns the virtualized entity to a group associated with a traffic-handling policy, and processes packet traffic from the virtualized entity in accordance with the traffic-handling policy. The virtualized entity can be, for example, a virtual machine or a multi-queue network input/output adapter operating on the physical host machine.

Abstract: A switch device includes a packet-forwarding table for providing traffic management across servers in a server group. Each table entry maps a hash value to a server in the server group. A hash value is computed from data in one or more fields in the header of a received packet. The computed hash value is used as an index into the packet-forwarding table to access a table entry and to identify from the table entry the server in the server group to which the table entry maps the computed hash value. The switch device forwards the packet to the identified server. Implementing traffic management decisions in hardware enables packet switching at the line rate of the switch ports. In addition, the hardware-based traffic management performed by the switch device eliminates session tables and the memory to store them, enabling the switch device to handle an unlimited number of client connections.

Abstract: A data center includes a blade server rack with a switch device in communication with a plurality of servers. To process a frame, the switch device determines, from content in a frame header by the switch device, a port through which to forward the frame to a server. The switch device inserts a value into a particular field, for example, a VLAN (virtual Local Area Network) tag, in the frame header before forwarding the frame. The server performs a specific action related to processing the frame based on the value inserted by the switch device into the particular field in the frame header. The server can modify the value in the particular field of the frame header before returning the frame to the switch device, with the switch device performing a specific action based on the value in the particular field of the frame header as modified by the server.

Abstract: A switch device includes a packet forwarding table for providing load balancing across servers in a server group. Each table entry maps a hash value to a server in the server group. A hash value can be computed from the destination MAC address, destination IP address, and destination service port in the header of a received packet. The packet forwarding table is searched to find an entry with a hash value that matches the computed hash value and to identify the server to which the matching hash value maps. The switch device forwards the packet to the identified server. Implementing load-balancing decisions in hardware enables packet switching at the line rate of the switch ports. In addition, the hardware-based load balancing performed by the switch device eliminates session tables and the memory to store them, enabling the switch device to handle an unlimited number of client connections.

Abstract: A data center includes a switch device, an initiating system, and first and second computing systems. A frame is received at an ingress port of the switch device from the initiating system. The frame requires processing sequentially by the first and second computing systems. Identified, in response to information carried in the frame, is a first egress port through which to forward the frame to the first computer system. The frame is received in return from the first computing system after the first computing system completes processing the frame. In response to information carried in the frame received from the first computing system, a second egress port is identified through which to forward the frame to the second computer system. The frame is forwarded to the second computer system through the second egress port for processing by the second computing system before the frame is returned to the initiating system.

Abstract: Described is a rack-switch including a rack and a plurality of blade server chassis within the rack. Each blade server chassis has a plurality of server blades in communication with at least one switch. Each switch includes a plurality of external ports. At least two of the external ports of each switch are inter-switch link (ISL) ports. The rack-switch also includes a plurality of inter-switch links. Each inter-switch link electrically connects one ISL port of one of the switches to one ISL port of another of the switches. The plurality of inter-switch links interconnects the switches such that the switches are daisy chained in a loop. The inter-switch links convey Ethernet packets representing server-to-server communications between server blades of different blade server chassis.

Abstract: An improved system and method for network switching that provides the ability to automatically and seamlessly migrate policies for network hosts under certain conditions to local or remote switch ports. The improved switch automatically migrates switch policies for virtual and physical hosts from a source port to a destination port when hosts have been physically moved or replaced. For elements that have failed, the improved switch also migrates host network policies for both physical hosts and virtual machines when the old host network policy will maintain serviceability of the element when applied to the new port.