Abstract: A system for atomic file transfer operations over connectionless network protocols includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains program instructions executable by the processor to implement an operating system including a system call interface for sending one or more data files to another system over a network via a connectionless network protocol. In response to an invocation of the system call by an application, the operating system is configured to send the one or more data files to the other system over the network without the application copying contents of the data files into application address space.

Abstract: A method for processing a first input/output (I/O) request on a network attached storage (NAS) device that includes receiving the first I/O request from a source by the NAS device, placing the first I/O request in an I/O queue associated with the NAS device, wherein the first I/O request is placed in the I/O queue based on a priority of the first I/O request using a remote storage access protocol, and when the first I/O request is associated with the highest priority in the I/O queue, determining whether a bandwidth associated with the source of the first I/O request is exceeded, processing the first I/O request if the bandwidth associated with the source of the first I/O request is not exceeded, and placing the first I/O request in sleep mode if the bandwidth associated with the source of the first I/O request is exceeded.

Abstract: Systems are presented for processing packets in a network switch. One network device includes a processor, an Ethernet switch, a PCIe switch, and a packet processor. The processor is for executing a controller program, and the Ethernet switch is for switching packets among a ports. Further, the PCIe switch is coupled to the processor and the Ethernet switch, and the packet processor, coupled to the Ethernet switch and the PCIe switch, is operable to modify an application header of an incoming packet and send the incoming packet to one of the ports. The controller program is operable to configure the Ethernet switch and the packet processor to define processing of packets. The controller program is operable to send a first configuration rule to the Ethernet switch, the first configuration rule defining that packets of a network flow requiring header modification be forwarded to the packet processor.

Abstract: A system for atomic file transfer operations over connectionless network protocols includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains program instructions executable by the processor to implement an operating system including a system call interface for sending one or more data files to another system over a network via a connectionless network protocol. In response to an invocation of the system call by an application, the operating system is configured to send the one or more data files to the other system over the network without the application copying contents of the data files into application address space.

Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a network device that includes a port configured to receive a packet and a packet processor (PP) configured to receive the packet from the port, in response to receiving the packet, make a first determination that a trigger condition exists, and in response to the first determination, issue a configuration action, where the configuration action, when performed by the network device, modifies a configuration of a component on the network device.

Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for transferring a packet. The method includes receiving the packet by a physical network interface, determining a virtual network interface card (VNIC) using a virtual switching table, where the VNIC is located on a computer operatively connected to the network express manager (NEM) via a chassis interconnect, and the VNIC is executing on a host operating system (OS) in the computer. The method further includes transferring the packet to a receive ring (RR) associated with the VNIC, wherein the RR is located on the NEM, providing the network express manager with a receive descriptor, transferring the packet to the guest OS memory using the receive descriptor, and notifying the guest OS that the packet is in the guest OS memory.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer programs are presented for managing network traffic. A network switch includes a switch fabric and a resource coherency and analytics engine (RCAE) coupled to the switch fabric. The RCAE includes one or more virtualizable resource groups (VRGs) for managing network traffic flow across a plurality of network switches on the network. Further, the RCAE is operable to add network entities to each VRG, add flows to each VRG, and add other VRGs to each VRG. A virtualizable resource control list (VRCL), associated with each VRG, identifies which network entities in the VRG can communicate with each other, which network entities in the VRG can communicate with network entities in other VRGs, and a guaranteed bandwidth for the VRG associated with the VRCL. Furthermore, the RCAE is operable to exchange messages with other RCAEs in other network switches to implement traffic policies defined by each VRCL.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a network device, including: an input port; an output port; a switch fabric including a primary fabric, an auxiliary fabric, and a controller; and a distributor configured to obtain, from the input port, a first data unit, provide the first data unit to the primary fabric, determine, after the first data unit is transmitted to the primary fabric, that the primary fabric is congested, send, in response to determining that the primary fabric is congested, a request to the controller to establish a data path through the auxiliary fabric, obtain, from the input port and after sending the request, a second data unit, provide the second data unit to the auxiliary fabric, where the auxiliary fabric transmits the second data unit to the aggregator through the data path in the auxiliary fabric.

Abstract: A system that includes a switch fabric and a resource coherency and analytics engine (RCAE). The RCAE includes a virtual traffic shaper (VTS). The VTS includes virtual output queues (VOQs), where each VOQ is associated with a virtualizable resource group (VRG)-OP pair. The VTS includes functionality to receive a first packet, make a first determination that the first packet is to be sent to a first OP, make a second determination that the first packet is associated with a first VRG, and store, based on the first and second determinations, the first packet in a VOQ associated with a first VRG-OP pair. The VTS also includes functionality to schedule the first packet for transmission from the VOQ to the switch fabric.

Abstract: A method for low-overhead data transfer. The method includes initiating, by a first application, TCP connection with a second application, establishing, in response to the initiation, the TCP connection between the first application and the second application, providing, by the first application, pre-post buffer information to the second application, where the pre-post buffer information corresponds to a location in a physical memory of the first computer and where the location in physical memory corresponds to a virtual memory address of the first application. The method further comprising transferring data, by the second application, to the first application using the pre-post buffer information, where transferring the data comprises writing the data directly into a location in the physical memory of the first computer.

Abstract: A system for maintaining direct hardware access in the event of PNIC failure. A host for the system includes: a processor; a first and a second PNIC, where the first PNIC is activated and all other PNICs are deactivated; a host operating system; a virtual machine; and a hypervisor for transferring packets between the host operating system and the virtual machine. The host operating system includes a link aggregator, multiple host VNICs, and a virtual switch associated with the VNICs. The first virtual machine includes a virtual network protocol stack and a guest VNIC. The link aggregator is configured to determine whether the first PNIC has failed. Based on a determination that the first PNIC has failed, the link aggregator is further configured to: remove a virtual function mapping between the first PNIC and the virtual machine; determine the second PNIC; deactivate the first PNIC; and activate the second PNIC.

Abstract: A method for changing network configuration parameters that includes generating a request to change a network configuration parameter, where the request is generated by a virtual machine, sending the request to a virtual network interface card (VNIC) associated with the virtual machine, sending the request to a VNIC configuration database associated with the VNIC, determining whether the virtual machine is allowed to change the network configuration parameter, if the virtual machine is allowed to change the network configuration parameter, updating the VNIC configuration database and VNIC to reflect the change in the network configuration parameter, and notifying the virtual machine that the change in network configuration parameter is allowed, and if the virtual machine is not allowed to change the network configuration parameter, dropping the request.

Abstract: A system and method for providing network connectivity to a host, involving creating a virtual switch on the host, specifying at least one data link attribute of the virtual switch, creating a plurality of virtual network interface cards (VNICs) on the host, associating each of the plurality of VNICs with the virtual switch, and assigning the at least one data link attribute of the virtual switch to each of the plurality of VNICs, where the virtual switch is connected to a physical network interface card (NIC) associated with the host, where each of the plurality of VNICs is associated with a different one of a plurality of execution environments, where the plurality of execution environments is located on the host, and where the plurality of VNICs is located on the host.

Abstract: A method for processing packets that includes receiving a packet from a network, analyzing the packet to obtain packet information used to determine to which temporary data structure to forward the packet, if a first list includes the packet information forwarding the packet to a first temporary data structure, and processing the packet from the first temporary data structure, and if the first list does not include the packet information forwarding the packet to a second temporary data structure, processing the packet, wherein processing the packet comprises: sending a first test to a source of the packet using the packet information, placing the packet information on the first list, if a successful response to the first test is received, and placing the packet information on a second list, if an unsuccessful response to the first test is received.

Abstract: A system including a first physical network interface card (NIC) include a number of rings, where at least one of the rings is an active ring. The system further includes a host, operatively connected to the first NIC, and including Media Access Control (MAC) layer. The MAC layer is configured to obtain a power management policy, obtain a load associated with the active ring, determine, using the power management policy and the load, that the state associated with at least one of the rings must be changed, and change, in response to the determining, the state of at least one of the of rings.

Abstract: A method for configuring a packet destination, that includes creating the packet destination on a host, obtaining a network configuration for the packet destination, determining whether the host comprises a virtual network stack, where the virtual network stack includes the network configuration, and assigning the packet destination to the virtual network stack.

Abstract: A method for notifying a packet destination that includes receiving a packet by a network interface card (NIC), where the packet destination is a destination of the packet, classifying the packet, forwarding the packet to one of a plurality of receive rings on the NIC, determining whether the one of the plurality of receive rings comprises space to store the packet, dropping the packet if the receive ring does not comprise the space to store the packet, and sending a notification message to the packet destination, where the notification message indicates that the packet was dropped by the receive ring.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a network connection in a computer system including a software network protocol stack and a network interface card including a hardware network protocol stack are disclosed. State information associated with the network connection is provided to or received by the driver associated with the network interface card. The driver provides the state information to the network interface card, thereby enabling the network interface card to process the network connection. In addition, any packet that is processed by the network interface card is also provided to the driver. Since the driver can maintain a copy of the state information and a copy of the data packet, the software network protocol stack can obtain the state information and the data packet from the driver in the event of a failure of the network interface card.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for networking communications. One method includes an operation for receiving a packet in a first format by a virtual driver providing a communications interface of a first type (CI1), the first format being for CI1. Further, the method includes an operation for encapsulating the packet in a second format by a processor, the second format being for a communications interface of a second type (CI2) different from CI1. In addition, the method includes an operation for sending the encapsulated packet in the second format to a switch module. The switch module includes a switch fabric, one or more CI1 ports, and one or more CI2 ports, and the switch module transforms the packet back to the first format to send the packet in the first format to a CI1 network via one of the CI1 ports in the switch module.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising accessing a packet associated with a connection and processing the packet through the plurality of protocol layers using a single thread wherein connection state information used by the plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for the connection through the plurality of protocol layers.