Abstract: Techniques for performing intelligent load balancer selection in a multi-load balancer environment are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system can generate a user interface for deploying a virtual IP address (VIP) on a load balancer in a network environment, where the network environment includes a plurality of load balancers, and where the user interface presents a plurality of criteria for selecting one of the plurality of load balancers. The computer system can further receive, from a user, a selection of one or more of the plurality of criteria, and can collect, from each load balancer in the plurality of load balancers, statistics that are relevant to the one or more criteria. The computer system can then select a load balancer from among the plurality of load balancers based on the one or more criteria and the collected statistics.

Abstract: In a network where there are two local area networks (LANs) connected over a wide area network (WAN) by paralleled LAN to WAN devices at each end of the WAN, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections may be requested by a first near end LAN to WAN device and received at a first far end LAN to WAN device but the acknowledgement may be returned to a second far end LAN to WAN device. The second far end LAN to WAN device contacts the first far end LAN to WAN device and the TCP connection is moved to the second far end LAN to WAN device, which provides the acknowledgement to the first near end LAN to WAN device to complete the TCP connection. Similar operations occur during active TCP connection operation but with certain queued data being flushed during the TCP connection transfer.

Abstract: A system and an algorithm in a mobile core network to distribute the data load across multiple data processing entities. The system is seen as having one data plane entity to the external entities like routers; hence the system can scale without needing to update the external nodes. In general when a data plane processing entity is added or removed, a new distribution rule is provided to the remaining data plane processing entities. Only after some number of sessions have been migrated does the new distribution get provided to the data distribution entities. This delay allows sufficient sessions to be migrated to minimize the overall number of packets that have to be forwarded for processing. This benefit can be maximized by taking advantage of cellular network's idle mode behavior and by migrating the sessions while they are in idle mode.

Abstract: Techniques for performing efficient topology failure detection in SDN networks are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system (e.g., an SDN controller) can transmit a first message to a first network device, where the first message instructs the first network device to begin sending probe packets to a second network device at a predetermined rate. The computer system can further transmit a second message to the second network device, where the second message instructs the second network device to monitor for the probe packets sent by the first network device and to notify the computer system when one or more of the probe packets are not received by the second network device. If the computer system receives such a notification from the second network device, the computer system can determine that a port, link, or node failure has occurred between the first and second network devices.

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 Fiber Channel (FC) header or can use bits in an additional header, such as a modified IFR header.

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: Use of a Location ID in addition to normal information to allow development of non-shortest path routes. The edge switches which terminate the distance links between locations are identified. Shortest path routes are determined for all switches in the same location. For each edge switch, routes over the distance links to other locations are determined, marking the interface connected to the distance links. The two determined sets of routes are combined. For devices directly connected to the edge switch, only the marked interface is used to reach the other location. For switches directly connected to the edge switch, use only routes from non-marked interfaces to marked interfaces and remove any routes from marked to marked or non-marked to non-marked interfaces. This operation for the directly connected switches allows single hops that are non-shortest path to an edge switch and removes certain potential loopback situations due to shortest path routes.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for allowing efficient allocation of data center resources in a virtualized data center. In one step, network information is obtained from a network using an application resource broker (ARB). In another step, data center information is obtained from a virtual center server using the ARB. In another step, a set of application traffic metrics and a set of virtualized infrastructure metrics are determined using the ARB based on the obtained network information and data center information respectively. The ARB is implemented on a computer system.

Abstract: A mechanism to allow provisioning and use of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) for authorized access in the enterprise network through a 3G/4G/Wi-Fi access network is provided. A brokering entity in the mobile packet core is provisioned for each authorized employee with enterprise specific rules for security and steering of user traffic. An Enterprise Container is defined as entity on the User Equipment that is self-contained virtual machine with enterprise sanctioned applications. An intelligent mechanism for and steering of signaling and traffic from such BYOD devices to the brokering entity is defined. At any time by using the personal container or the default behavior of the user equipment the user can get mobile service as if the Enterprise Container did not exist. Further, when such employment relationship is terminated the user's BYOD needs to be restored to its pre-employment functionality.

Abstract: A system and an algorithm in a mobile core network to distribute the data load across multiple data processing entities. The system is seen as having one data plane entity to the external entities like routers; hence the system can scale without needing to update the external nodes. In general when a data plane processing entity is added or removed, a new distribution rule is provided to the remaining data plane processing entities. Only after some number of sessions have been migrated does the new distribution get provided to the data distribution entities. This delay allows sufficient sessions to be migrated to minimize the overall number of packets that have to be forwarded for processing. This benefit can be maximized by taking advantage of cellular network's idle mode behavior and by migrating the sessions while they are in idle mode.

Abstract: Copy capability moved into the SAN fabric and provided as a data mover service. A well-known address is utilized to receive copy commands from the hosts. Each switch in the fabric contains a front end or service interface which receives the copy command and manages access control or zoning and LUN mapping. LUN mapping and zoning are based on shared databases. Assuming correct zoning, the service interface will perform any necessary LUN mapping on the received copy command and forward the command to a copy engine to perform the copy operation. The switch service interface also maintains copy operation status, querying the copy engine if necessary, so that any host status requests are also simply handled. Additionally, if multiple copy engines are present, the switches can communicate to perform load balancing.

Abstract: Techniques for end-to-end network bandwidth optimization using software defined networking are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system can receive information regarding a flow to be admitted to a network, where the flow is associated with a source and a destination. The computer system can further calculate, for each path in a plurality of paths between the source and the destination, a projected utilization of the path in view of the flow. If the projected utilization of the shortest path in the plurality of paths is less than or equal to a target utilization threshold, the computer system can assign the flow to the shortest path. Otherwise, the computer system can select a path in the plurality of paths that comes closest to the target utilization threshold without exceeding the threshold and can assign the flow to that selected path.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system and method for managing a network deduplication dictionary is disclosed. According to the method, the dictionary is divided between available deduplication engines (DDE) in deduplication devices that support shared dictionaries. The fingerprints are distributed to different DDEs based on a hash function. The hash function takes the fingerprint and hashes it and based on the hash result, it selects one of the DDEs. The hash function could select a few bits from the fingerprint and use those bits to select a DDE.

Abstract: A framework for reliably communicating port information in a system of devices is provided. In one embodiment, each device in the system of devices can create a first record that includes port information pertaining to a plurality of ports of the device, where the plurality of ports are usable for communicatively coupling the device to other devices in the system of devices. The device can further receive, from the other devices in the system of devices, one or more second records including port information pertaining to the ports of the other devices, and can store the first record and the one or more second records in a data store maintained locally on the device. The device can then forward copies of the first record and the one or more second records out of each of the plurality of ports, thereby causing the copies of the first record and the one or more second records to be communicated to the other devices in the system of devices.

Abstract: Techniques for aggregating hardware routing resources in a system of devices are provided. In one embodiment, a device in the system of devices can divide routing entries in a software routing table of the system into a plurality of route subsets. The device can further assign each route subset in the plurality of route subsets to one or more devices in the system. The device can then install, for each route subset that is assigned to the device, routing entries in the route subset into a hardware routing table of the device.

Abstract: Techniques for simplifying stacking trunk creation and management are provided. In one embodiment, a switch in a stacking system can receive first and second control packets from one or more other switches in the stacking system, where the first and second control packets are received on first and second stacking ports of the switch respectively. The switch can then determine, based on the first and second control packets, whether the first and second stacking ports can be configured as a single stacking trunk.

Abstract: Intelligent services are provided in a storage network using intelligent service modules that can be cabled to a switch external to the switch chassis and yet be managed as part of the switch's logical domain. Data and management communications between the intelligent service module and the core switch are provided through a “soft-backplane” implemented using in-band communications through cabling attached between the switch and the intelligent service module rather than through a hardwired backplane within the chassis. Management communications from management software is directed to the switch, which handles the management functions relating to the intelligent service module or forwards the management requests to the intelligent service module for processing.

Abstract: A fabric having switches interconnected with multiple parallel interswitch links can be configured using staged port bring up. Only one of the multiple parallel interswitch links between any two switches and the corresponding switch ports can be selected and initialized. The fabric can be configured with the selected ISLs. Once the fabric has stabilized, unselected ISLs and the corresponding switch ports can be incrementally initialized. The number of unselected ISLs to be initialized can be determined based on the available computing resources of the fabric switches.

Abstract: Is in a Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN) and its included routers, the routers are placed in groups or pods. Each router only contains router port and fabric access data for routers in the same group or pod. In this manner the size of the relevant tables are reduced, which allows for greater expansion of the SAN as a whole. Each router may be programmed by an administrator with a pod value, indicating the pod containing the router. This value may be provided to the Name Server during router registration and may be requested from the Name Server when developing the router's inter-fabric router (IFR) topology or the pod value can be exchanged in the IF_ILS_HLO messages. Router port database information is only stored from routers in the same pod or provided to routers in the same pod, thus reducing the entries in the router port database.

Abstract: A GTP correlation cluster (GCC) can automatically program a network element to forward copies of packets originating from a mobile device and having a shared attribute to the same analytic server, regardless of the regions into which the mobile device moves. The GCC can monitor attributes of copies of control packets that the network element receives. In response to detecting a changed attribute within a control packet originating from a mobile device, the GCC can update a session map specific to that mobile device in order to cause packets having that changed attribute to be forwarded to the same port to which packets having the former attribute were being forwarded prior to the change. As a result, the network element can ensure that packets belonging to a particular session still are forwarded to the same analytic server even if the mobile device has moved to a different region.