Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support mapping/importing remote storage devices as NVMe namespace(s) via an NVMe controller using a storage network protocol and utilizing one or more storage devices locally coupled to the NVMe controller as caches for fast access to the mapped remote storage devices. The NVMe controller exports and presents the NVMe namespace(s) of the remote storage devices to one or more VMs running on a host attached to the NVMe controller. Each of the VMs running on the host can then perform read/write operations on the logical volumes. During a write operation, data to be written to the remote storage devices by the VMs is stored in the locally coupled storage devices first before being transmitted over the network. The locally coupled storage devices may also cache data intelligently pre-fetched from the remote storage devices based on reading patterns and/or pre-configured policies of the VMs in anticipation of read operations.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support hardware-based Quality of Service (QoS) operations, which offloads metering functionalities under OpenFlow protocol to a programmable hardware unit/block/component. The hardware unit supports several hardware implemented ports and each port supports multiple configurable queues for the packet flows through a network switch/chip/system. Specifically, the hardware unit includes a plurality of descriptor queues (DQs) configured to accept requests to send a plurality of packets from one or more CPU cores, and a plurality of condition and schedule modules configured to meter, schedule, and condition the packets through a hierarchy of scheduling queues under one or more metering constraints.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support elastic (extensible/flexible) storage access in real time by mapping a plurality of remote storage devices that are accessible over a network fabric as logical namespace(s) via a logic storage controller using a multitude of access mechanisms and storage network protocols. The logical storage controller exports and presents the remote storage devices to one or more VMs running on a host of the logical storage controller as the logical namespace(s), wherein these remote storage devices appear virtually as one or more logical volumes of a collection of logical blocks in the logical namespace(s) to the VMs. As a result, each of the VMs running on the host can access these remote storage devices to perform read/write operations as if they were local storage devices via the logical namespace(s).

Abstract: A new approach is proposed to support a virtual network switch, which is a software implementation of a network switch utilizing hardware to accelerate implementation of timers of the virtual network switch under OpenFlow protocol. The approach utilizes a plurality of hardware-implemented timer blocks/rings, wherein each of the rings covers a specified time period and has a plurality of timer buckets each corresponding to an interval of expiration time of timers. When a new flow table entry is programmed at an OpenFlow agent of the virtual network switch, its associated timer entries are created and inserted into the corresponding timer bucket based on the expiration time of the timers. During operation, hardware of the virtual network switch traverses the timer rings for the timer bucket which time has expired, identifies timer entries in the expired timer bucket, interrupts CPU or provides a notification to the agent with necessary contextual information.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support mapping/importing remote storage devices as NVMe namespace(s) via an NVMe controller using a storage network protocol and utilizing one or more storage devices locally coupled to the NVMe controller as caches for fast access to the mapped remote storage devices. The NVMe controller exports and presents the NVMe namespace(s) of the remote storage devices to one or more VMs running on a host attached to the NVMe controller. Each of the VMs running on the host can then perform read/write operations on the logical volumes. During a write operation, data to be written to the remote storage devices by the VMs is stored in the locally coupled storage devices first before being transmitted over the network. The locally coupled storage devices may also cache data intelligently pre-fetched from the remote storage devices based on reading patterns and/or pre-configured policies of the VMs in anticipation of read operations.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support extensible/flexible storage access in real time by virtualizing a plurality of remote storage devices as NVMe namespace(s) via an NVMe controller using a storage network protocol. The NVMe controller exports and presents the remote storage devices to one or more VMs running on a host attached to the NVMe controller as the NVMe namespace(s), wherein these remote storage devices appear virtually as one or more logical volumes of a collection of logical blocks in the NVMe namespace(s) to the VMs. As a result, each of the VMs running on the host can access these remote storage devices to perform read/write operations as if they were local storage devices via the NVMe namespace(s).

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support (live or quiesced) migration of virtual machines (VMs) accessing a set of remote storage devices over a network via non-volatile memory express (NVMe) controllers from a current host to a destination host. At the time of the VM migration, a first virtual NVMe controller running on a first physical NVMe controller enables a first VM running on the current host to access and perform a plurality of storage operations to one or more logical volumes mapped to the remote storage devices over the network as if they were local storage volumes. During the VM migration process, the current host puts the first virtual NVMe controller serving the first VM into a quiesce state, captures and saves an image of states of the first virtual NVMe controller on the first host.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support mapping/importing remote storage devices as NVMe namespace(s) via an NVMe controller using a storage network protocol and utilizing one or more storage devices locally coupled to the NVMe controller as caches for fast access to the mapped remote storage devices. The NVMe controller exports and presents the NVMe namespace(s) of the remote storage devices to one or more VMs running on a host attached to the NVMe controller. Each of the VMs running on the host can then perform read/write operations on the logical volumes. During a write operation, data to be written to the remote storage devices by the VMs is stored in the locally coupled storage devices first before being transmitted over the network. The locally coupled storage devices may also cache data intelligently pre-fetched from the remote storage devices based on reading patterns and/or pre-configured policies of the VMs in anticipation of read operations.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to virtualize a physical NVMe controller associated with a computing device or host so that every virtual machine running on the host can have its own dedicated virtual NVMe controller. First, a plurality of virtual NVMe controllers are created on a single physical NVMe controller, which is associated with one or more storage devices. Once created, the plurality of virtual NVMe controllers are provided to VMs running on the host in place of the single physical NVMe controller attached to the host, and each of the virtual NVMe controllers organizes the storage units to be accessed by its corresponding VM as a logical volume. As a result, each of the VMs running on the host has its own namespace(s) and can access its storage devices directly through its own virtual NVMe controller.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support a plurality of value-added services for storage operations on a plurality of remote storage devices virtualized as extensible/flexible storages and NVMe namespace(s) via an NVMe controller in real time. First, the NVMe controller virtualizes and presents the remote storage devices to one or more VMs running on a host attached to the NVMe controller as logical volumes so that each of the VMs running on the host can perform read/write operations on the emote storage devices as if they were local storage devices. The NVMe controller then monitors and meters the resources consumed by the activities/operations by the VMs to the virtualized remote storage devices as well as the data being transmitted during such operations in real time and creates analytics for billing purposes.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support hot plugging and/or unplugging one or more of remote storage devices virtualized as extensible/flexible storages and NVMe namespace(s) via an NVMe controller during operation. First, the NVMe controller virtualizes and presents a set of remote storage devices to one or more VMs running on a host attached to the NVMe controller as logical volumes in the NVMe namespace(s) so that each of the VMs running on the host can access these remote storage devices to perform read/write operations as if they were local storage devices.