Abstract: A computer system monitors connectivity between a core network and two or more paths comprising a contiguous local area network segment. Each of the two or more paths couple at least one member of a team of network resources of the computer system to the core network. Each of the members of the team is configured to receive network management frames transmitted by one or more devices residing near or within the core network. A break in the connectivity between a path of the network segment and the core network is detected whenever the at least one member of the team coupled to that path fails to receive an expected one of the network management frames within a predetermined time period.

Abstract: Network administration systems and methods are disclosed. In an exemplary implementation, a method of administering a computer network may include listening to inter-switch communication at a server computer in the computer network. The method may also include parsing the inter-switch communication. The method may also include extracting data about the network from the inter-switch communication for display to a user at the server computer.

Abstract: A NIC teaming intermediate driver running on a computer system binds NIC resources into teams to provide a physical interface for the computer system to the network. When configuring a team, the teaming driver assigns one of the team members to be the primary resource and the others to be secondary. When one or more members of the team are coupled to more than one path through a layer 2 network to a core switch, the intermediate driver listens to frames transmitted over the layer 2 network regarding the cost (i.e. the bandwidth) of various connections between switches in the network and chooses the primary member to be that member coupled to the lowest cost path (i.e. highest bandwidth).

Abstract: A method is implemented in a network that comprises a plurality of ports and an indicator associated with each port. The method comprises forming a frame. The frame passes through the network. The frame causes indicators of multiple ports to illuminate to provide an indication of a path through the network Each of the ports remain illuminated for at least a period of time after the frame passes through each such port to enable a person to concurrently visualize all of the ports comprising the path.

Abstract: A method of operating a network computer system to manage failover in the network computer system comprising communicating traffic via the plurality of network resources, and failing over from a primary pathway to a secondary pathway of the pathway plurality based on failure to receive the user-specified traffic defined by the failover criteria in the primary pathway in combination with availability of the user-specified traffic via the secondary pathway.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with monitoring a server port in a server network environment are described. In one embodiment, a graphical user interface (GUI) allows server port(s) to be selected for monitoring. The GUI also allows for an uplink port to be selected, where the uplink port is a port that may be connected to a network analyzer. In response to the selections, a virtual local area network (VLAN) is created to establish communication between the selected server port(s) and the selected uplink port. Network traffic that passes through the selected server port(s) can then be duplicated and transmitted through the VLAN to the selected uplink port to be monitored and analyzed by a network analyzer connected to the uplink port.

Abstract: A computer system teams its network resource ports on a per virtual network basis. The system configures one or more virtual networks. For each of the one or more configured virtual networks, the system establishes a team comprising two or more of the network resource ports. The system selects a layer2 address that is uniquely associated with one of the ports of the team. The system assigns the selected unique layer2 address to be the primary layer2 address for the team.

Abstract: A system comprises a first host bus adapter (HBA) that uses a first context to facilitate the transmission of packets through a logical connection through the first HBA. The system also comprises a second HBA and memory in which the first context is stored. The memory is accessible by both of the first and second HBAs. Upon receiving a packet associated with the logical connection, the second HBA accesses the memory to use the first context to process the packet in accordance with the first context.

Abstract: A plurality of peer network devices are configured to load-balance data transmitted between them on a point-by-point basis. Each peer device has a team of network resources coupling it to a local area network. A peer device transmitting data to one of the other peer devices load-balances the data over the team of resources of the receiving one of the peer devices. Each peer device multicasts to the other peer devices a data frame from that includes peer data defining attributes of the team of the multicasting peer device. The multicast data frame is updated with new peer data whenever one or more of the attributes of the team of the multicasting peer device are changed.

Abstract: A method and system of implementing virtual local area networks (VLANs) with teamed communication ports. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods comprising teaming a plurality of communication ports to form a single virtual communication port (the single virtual port comprising a first set of ports and a second set of ports), sending messages belonging to a first virtual local area network (VLAN) exclusively over the first set of ports from a first device to a second device, and sending messages belonging to a second VLAN exclusively over the second set of ports from the first device to the second device.

Abstract: A method comprises on a first port, receiving a frame from a network device and determining whether the received frame includes a system identifier (ID) that matches a system ID corresponding to a second port. If the received frame's system ID matches the second port's system ID, the method further comprises discontinuing an aggregation protocol that otherwise enables multiple ports to be operated together as a virtual port.

Abstract: A computer system automatically recovers from a split segment condition in which a contiguous layer 2 network segment, comprising a plurality of contiguous paths each directly coupling one or more members of a team of network resources of the computer system to a core switch of a layer 2 network, is split into two or more noncontiguous segments each comprising a contiguous set of one or more of the plurality of paths. The computer system includes a team of network resources having one or more members that couple it to each one of the plurality of paths. A teaming driver binds the drivers of each member of the team and is coupled to the segment through the members of the team.

Abstract: A method and system for load balancing transmission allocations from a computer system based on network conditions. The system includes at least two network interface adapters that couple to a network and receive network information packets. The system also includes a teaming driver that monitors network information packets for each of the network interface adapters, calculates weights for each of the network interface adapters based on the network information packets and generates a transmission allocation for distributing outgoing packets between the network interface adapters based on the calculated weights.

Abstract: A system comprises a first host bus adapter (HBA) that uses a first context to facilitate the transmission of packets through a logical connection through the first HBA. The system also comprises a second HBA and memory in which the first context is stored. The memory is accessible by both of the first and second HBAs. Upon receiving a packet associated with the logical connection, the second HBA accesses the memory to use the first context to process the packet in accordance with the first context.

Abstract: A computer system teams its network resources by apportioning each of the resources into one of two or more groups. One or more resources make up each of the groups having a link operative to be coupled together as a port trunk to a different one of two or more coupling devices providing connectivity between the system and a network. A unique layer2 address is assigned to each one of the groups. The one or more resources of each group are programmed to receive on their group's assigned layer2 address. A response is generated to a communication request received from the network. The responses specify one of the assigned layer2 addresses.

Abstract: A method and system of transmit load balancing across multiple physical ports. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods comprising teaming a first and second communication ports to create a teamed communication port, creating a plurality of virtual ports which abstract the first and second communication ports (and wherein a number of virtual ports utilizing each communication port is based on parameters associated with the communication ports), selecting one of the plurality of virtual ports out which to send a message packet thus designating a select virtual port (the selecting implements transmit load balancing across plurality of virtual ports) and sending the message packets out the first or second communication port utilized by the selected virtual port.

Abstract: A system comprises a first host bus adapter (HBA) that uses a first context to facilitate the transmission of packets through a logical connection through the first HBA. The system also comprises a second HBA and memory in which the first context is stored. The memory is accessible by both of the first and second HBAs. Upon receiving a packet associated with the logical connection, the second HBA accesses the memory to use the first context to process the packet in accordance with the first context.

Abstract: A method and system of distributing multicast group join requests in computer systems operating with teamed communication ports. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are computer-readable media storing a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to intercept multicast group join requests sent from a network layer program executed by the processor, and distribute the multicast join requests across a plurality of communication ports operating as a single virtual port.

Abstract: A method and system of assigning media access control (MAC) addresses across teamed communication ports. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods comprising teaming a plurality of communication ports in a computer system to appear as a single virtual port to an application program (each communication port transmits message packets with any of a number M possible MAC addresses, wherein the number communication ports is greater than M), assigning a set of size M of MAC addresses to each of the plurality communication ports such that each MAC address appears in the set for a communication port for which the MAC address is the primary address (and such that each MAC address appears in M?1 other sets for other communication ports), and receiving a message packet from a client device across a network, the message packet directed to a primary MAC address of the first of the plurality communication ports.

Abstract: A system comprising a computer including a plurality of network interface controllers (NICs), the plurality of NICs associated with an address. The system further comprises a switching apparatus coupled to the computer and an echo device coupled to the switching apparatus. The echo device is adapted to send a packet to the switching apparatus to verify connectivity with the plurality of NICs. The packet comprises the address. The switching apparatus compares the address with a data structure to locate a matching address. If no matching address is located, the switching apparatus sends copies of the packet to each of the plurality of NICs coupled to the switching apparatus.