Abstract: In some aspects, the disclosure is directed to methods and systems for automatically identifying a set of communications flows in a network environment, and grouping the identified set into a flow collection for management and monitoring. The system may dynamically maintaining the group membership, without requiring manual analysis and grouping. As a result, manual grouping of flows may be avoided, avoiding this complex, tedious, and error prone task, and allowing easier and more efficient administration and management.

Abstract: An analytics and diagnostic node according to the present disclosure monitors oversubscription and determines flow metrics by receiving mirror command frames from one or more switching nodes. The mirror command frames could correspond to a multiple flows traversing over a connection within a network. The analytics and diagnostic node collects at least one latency metric for each of the flows using timestamps found within the mirror command frames. Based on the latency metrics and timestamps, the analytic diagnostic node determines an average data rate for each of the flows. The analytics and diagnostic node also computes the cumulative data rates corresponding to different bucket intervals based on the average data rates. To detect oversubscription, the analytics and diagnostic node compares the cumulative data rates with one or more oversubscription rules.

Abstract: A diagnostic testing utility is used to perform online path diagnostic tests to troubleshoot components in a path that contribute to performance degradations and check application level data integrity, while traffic is allowed to flow as normal. To perform the diagnostic tests, two HBA or CNA ports at each end of a path are identified and used to send test frames to perform the diagnostic tests. The entire diagnostic procedure is performed without taking any ports or servers offline.

Abstract: What is disclosed is network management software which displays a widget for tracking a particular characteristic of a network. The widget title bar contains a first and second indicator. The first indicator represents the severity of the most severe alert for the particular characteristic being tracked by the widget. The second indicator is a numerical value of the characteristic that caused the alert.

Abstract: The PCS and FEC layers are combined into a single layer and the number of lanes is set at four lanes. The combination allows removal of many modules as compared to a serial arrangement of a PCS layer and an FEC layer. The reduction in the number of lanes, as compared to 100 Gbps Ethernet, provides a further simplification or cost reduction by further reducing the needed gates of an ASIC to perform the functions. Changing the lanes in the FEC layer necessitates changing the alignment marker structure. In the preferred embodiment a lane zero marker is used as the first alignment marker in each lane to allow rapid sync. A second alignment marker indicating the particular lane follows the first alignment marker.

Abstract: The FC port state machine enhanced by determining if various lanes are configured to be operated in 128 Gbps mode by operating as parallel lanes as indicated by using a reserved bit in a link training field. If so and if all of the ports are 32 Gbps ports and pass training, then four lanes can be combined to form a 128 Gbps link. If the ports are configured for 128 Gbps only operation and at least one lane does not negotiate to 32 Gbps or fails training, the link is not activated and none of the lanes are activated. If the ports are configured to do either 128 Gbps or independent operation and at least one lane cannot operate at 128 Gbps, then the lanes operate independently at the negotiated and trained speed. If the lanes are configured for only independent operation the transceiver develops independent links as negotiated.

Abstract: A network device may execute a process (e.g., a software keep-alive process (SKAP)) that schedules the transmission of keep-alive messages or packets. The network device maintains a database of keep-alive network sessions storing information that is used for scheduling the transmission of the keep-alive messages or packets for the keep-alive network sessions. The database may be read and a next transmission time and session frequency for one or more keep-alive sessions may be determined. The one or more keep-alive sessions may then be placed in appropriate banks within a timer queue based on the determined next transmission time and session frequency. Each bank is associated with a time period from the current time. The keep-alive sessions having sooner next transmission times are placed in higher priority banks. The scheduler may allow for real-time scheduling of the one or more keep-alive sessions.

Abstract: A network device may execute a software keep-alive process (SKAP) that enables the network device to continue to send keep-alive packets without interruption even during events such as a network operating system failover/switchover or an in-place system upgrade. The network device maintains a database of keep-alive network sessions storing information that is used to schedule and send keep-alive messages or packets for the keep-alive network sessions. The database may be shared between network operating subsystems and programs executed by the network device. The database may be updated by a network operating subsystem and the information may then be used by the SKAP to schedule and send out keep-alive messages or packets for the keep-alive network sessions. For example, a virtual machine may store information for a keep-alive network session in the database, which is used by SKAP to schedule transmission of keep-alive packets for that keep-alive network session.

Abstract: A network device may include various cards and modules, such as management modules, line cards, and switch fabric modules. In various implementations, these components can be “hot-plugged” meaning that the components can be inserted into and removed from the network device while the network device is powered on. In various implementations, hardware in the network device can identify when a component has been added. The hardware can notify a virtual machine, which can then notify the host operating system. The host operating system can added the component, and then notify the virtual machine to also add the component. Once the virtual machine has added the component, the component becomes available for use by processes executing on the virtual machine.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch is configurable to be a member of a first fabric switch. The switch includes a link aggregation module. During operation, the link aggregation module marks an ingress-switch field of a frame with a virtual switch identifier. This virtual switch identifier is associated with the switch and a second switch, which is a member of a second fabric switch, and is from a range of identifier associated with the first fabric switch and the second fabric switch. Each of the first fabric switch and the second fabric switch is operable to accommodate a plurality of switches and operate as a single switch.

Abstract: A hypervisor preferably provides VM identification, priority and LUN/LBA range information to the HBA when a VM is created. Alternatively, the HBA can determine that a LUN/LBA range is new and request VM identity, priority and LUN/LBA range from the hypervisor. The HBA creates a table containing the VM identification, priority and LUN/LBA range. The HBA then detects operations directed to the LUN/LBA range and does a lookup to determine VM identification and priority. VM identification and priority are then mapped into a field in a frame using a unique identifier. The unique identifier can either be placed using reserved bits on the existing Fibre Channel (FC) header or can use bits in an additional header, such as a modified IFR header.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a computing system. The computing system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that are executed by the processor. The computing system stores in a first table a first mapping between a first switch identifier and a next-hop switch identifier for the first switch identifier, and stores in a second table a second mapping between the first switch identifier and a first media access control (MAC) address of a remote device. The computing system encapsulates a first packet, which has first MAC address as a destination address, in a first encapsulation header with the first switch identifier as an egress switch identifier of the first encapsulation header. This encapsulated packet is forwarded in a network of interconnected switches based on the first encapsulation header.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus and computer-readable medium are described for improving efficiency and robustness for sharing data across different users, agents, processes, drivers, and applications in a system. A shared buffer between multiple entities may be used for sharing data such that the data is only stored once and accessed by multiple entities without copying the data over and over again. An example system may be a network device. For a received packet at a network interface of a network device, the packet may be stored directly in memory. The application or process responsible for accessing and/or manipulating the packet can directly do so by simply using a buffer pointer provided by the buffer manager.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are described for executing a foreground bound process with characteristics similar to a background process. In certain implementations, a code wrapper is executed before and/or after the foreground bound process is invoked that dissociates the process input/output with the standard input/output provided by the operating system and redirects the input/output such that the foreground process no longer blocks the input/output and another process can interact with the foreground bound process.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and a computer-readable medium are described for generating and receiving information regarding the current state of the active virtual machine in the host and switching the standby virtual machine from standby to active in response to determining that the current active virtual machine may no longer be able to service network packets.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a network extension module, which maintains a mapping between a first virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier and a first global VLAN identifier of a network extension group. The network extension group is represented by a range of global VLAN identifiers for a tenant. A global VLAN identifier is persistent in a respective switch of the network and represents a virtual forwarding domain in the network. During operation, the network extension module includes the global VLAN identifier in a packet belonging to the first VLAN.

Abstract: Provided are systems, methods, and computer-readable medium for enabling sharing of a multi-channel packet processor by multiple processes executing on a network device. The network device can include a memory management unit, configured to include an address map. The address map can include a reserved portion. The virtual machine can allocate a guest portion in the address map, where the guest portion is allocated in a part of the address map that does not include the reserved portion. A first channel from the packet processor can be assigned to the guest portion, and the virtual machine can use the first channel to receive packets. The reserved portion can be assigned to a host process executing on the network device. A second channel from the packet processor can be assigned to the reserved portion. The host process can transmit packets to the network using the second channel.

Abstract: A communication framework is provided that can be configured to control or limit a network controller's ability to communicate, export, or share the network controller's data with others, such as with other network controllers in the network environment. As part of this framework, techniques are provided that enable constraints to be specified for a particular network controller, where the constraints control and limit the data that is permitted to be communicated from the particular network controller to other network controllers or intended data recipients in the network environment.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a storage device, a rule management module, an inner packet module, and a packet processor. During operation, the rule management module obtains a rule associated with a data flow within tunnel encapsulation of a tunnel. This rule indicates how the flow is to be processed at the switch. The rule management module then applies an initial rule to a respective line card of the switch. The initial rule is derived from a virtual network identifier, which is associated with the tunnel, of the obtained rule. The inner packet module determines that a first inner packet, which is encapsulated with a first encapsulation header, belongs to the flow without decapsulating the first encapsulation header. The rule management module applies the obtained rule to a line card associated with an ingress port of the encapsulated first inner packet.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a switch group module, a persistent storage module, and an allocation module. The switch group module maintains a membership in a switch group. The switch group includes a plurality of switches and operates as a single switch. The persistent storage module stores configuration information associated with the switch group in a data structure in a local persistent storage. The allocation module determines that a second switch is in a default mode and obtains a switch identifier from the persistent storage based on a switch media access control (MAC) address of the second switch. The allocation module then constructs a control message, which is destined for the second switch and includes the switch identifier and a switch group identifier of the switch group.