Abstract: A system and method can support flooding mechanism using a packet process proxy in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance can send the flooded packet to a designated virtual interface on a host server, and a packet process proxy on the host server can forward the flooded packet to a virtual machine on another host server for processing this packet.

Abstract: A system and method can support a scalable packet forwarding mechanism in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances, wherein each network switch instance is associated with one or more external ports that are adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of packet dispatching components, each of which is responsible for forwarding a data packet to a virtual machine on a host server that operates to process the data packet. Additionally, a link aggregation component can combine multiple external ports into a logical port, and wherein the bandwidth of the logical port is linearly scaled accordingly to a total number of the multiple external ports.

Abstract: A system and method can support flooding mechanism using a packet process proxy in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance can send the flooded packet to a designated virtual interface on a host server, and a packet process proxy on the host server can forward the flooded packet to a virtual machine on another host server for processing this packet.

Abstract: A system and method can support a scalable packet forwarding mechanism in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances, wherein each network switch instance is associated with one or more external ports that are adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of packet dispatching components, each of which is responsible for forwarding a data packet to a virtual machine on a host server that operates to process the data packet. Additionally, a link aggregation component can combine multiple external ports into a logical port, and wherein the bandwidth of the logical port is linearly scaled accordingly to a total number of the multiple external ports.

Abstract: A system identifies at least one asset of a computer system. The system identifies asset information associated with at least one asset. The system creates a service tag on the computer system using the asset information. The service tag is associated with at least one asset. The service tag includes context information associated with at least one asset. The context information includes a context in which the asset is used.

Abstract: A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource, such as a network fabric, via an input/out (I/O) device. The boot image can receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from the host node, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node. Furthermore, the host-based firmware upgrade can be based on a special boot image that is prevented from accessing local information on the host node, or a normal boot image that is prevented from controlling the I/O device.

Abstract: A system and method can support a scalable packet forwarding mechanism in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances, wherein each network switch instance is associated with one or more external ports that are adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of packet dispatching components, each of which is responsible for forwarding a data packet to a virtual machine on a host server that operates to process the data packet. Additionally, a link aggregation component can combine multiple external ports into a logical port, and wherein the bandwidth of the logical port is linearly scaled accordingly to a total number of the multiple external ports.

Abstract: A system and method can support flooding mechanism using a packet process proxy in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance can send the flooded packet to a designated virtual interface on a host server, and a packet process proxy on the host server can forward the flooded packet to a virtual machine on another host server for processing this packet.

Abstract: A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide an input/output (I/O) device, which is associated with a host node. The host node can use the I/O device to connect to a shared resource, and the I/O device operates to receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from a fabric administrator that manages the shared resource, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device. Furthermore, the system allows the fabric administrator to send said at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update to the I/O device, using either an in-band connection or a side-band connection.

Abstract: A system and method can support packet direct forwarding in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment comprises one or more external ports on at least one network switch instance, wherein each external port can receive one or more data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment comprises a plurality of host channel adapter (HCA) ports on one or more host servers, wherein each said HCA port is associated with a said host server, and each said host server can support one or more virtual machines that operate to process the one or more data packets. The at least one network switch operate to send a packet received at an external port to a designated HCA port associated with the external port. An external switch in the external network can send the data packet to the particular external port based on a packet distribution algorithm.

Abstract: A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource, such as a network fabric, via an input/out (I/O) device. The boot image can receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from the host node, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node. Furthermore, the host-based firmware upgrade can be based on a special boot image that is prevented from accessing local information on the host node, or a normal boot image that is prevented from controlling the I/O device.

Abstract: A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide an input/output (I/O) device, which is associated with a host node. The host node can use the I/O device to connect to a shared resource, and the I/O device operates to receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from a fabric administrator that manages the shared resource, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device. Furthermore, the system allows the fabric administrator to send said at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update to the I/O device, using either an in-band connection or a side-band connection.

Abstract: A system and method can support a flooding mechanism using a multicast group in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving one or more data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines that can process the data packets. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance operates to send the flooded packet to the multicast group that operates to forward the flooded packet to one or more said host servers in the multicast group.

Abstract: A system and method can support virtual machine migration in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances with one or more external ports, each of which is adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of virtual interfaces on one or more host servers. Each host server is associated with one or more virtual machines that can process the one or more data packets. A virtual machine on a first host server is allowed to migrate from the first host server to a second host server and operates to receive one or more packets via a virtual interface on the second host server and process the one or more data packets.

Abstract: A system provides a registration client capable of querying a network to discover at least one asset existing on the network. The system receives, at the registration client, registration information from at least one asset. The registration client receives the registration information as a result of an interrogation of at least one asset. The system registers at least one asset using the registration information received from at least one asset. The registration client registers the asset.

Abstract: A system and method can support a scalable packet forwarding mechanism in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances, wherein each network switch instance is associated with one or more external ports that are adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of packet dispatching components, each of which is responsible for forwarding a data packet to a virtual machine on a host server that operates to process the data packet. Additionally, a link aggregation component can combine multiple external ports into a logical port, and wherein the bandwidth of the logical port is linearly scaled accordingly to a total number of the multiple external ports.

Abstract: A system and method can support packet direct forwarding in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment comprises one or more external ports on at least one network switch instance, wherein each external port can receive one or more data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment comprises a plurality of host channel adapter (HCA) ports on one or more host servers, wherein each said HCA port is associated with a said host server, and each said host server can support one or more virtual machines that operate to process the one or more data packets. The at least one network switch operate to send a packet received at an external port to a designated HCA port associated with the external port. An external switch in the external network can send the data packet to the particular external port based on a packet distribution algorithm.

Abstract: A system and method can support flooding mechanism using a packet process proxy in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance can send the flooded packet to a designated virtual interface on a host server, and a packet process proxy on the host server can forward the flooded packet to a virtual machine on another host server for processing this packet.

Abstract: A system and method can support a flooding mechanism using a multicast group in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving one or more data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines that can process the data packets. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance operates to send the flooded packet to the multicast group that operates to forward the flooded packet to one or more said host servers in the multicast group.

Abstract: A system and method can support virtual machine migration in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances with one or more external ports, each of which is adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of virtual interfaces on one or more host servers. Each said host server is associated with one or more virtual machines that can process the one or more data packets. A virtual machine on a first host server is allowed to migrate from the first host server to a second host server and operates to receive one or more packets via a virtual interface on the second host server and process the one or more data packets.