Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided in which a source and target perform bidirectional forwarding of traffic while a migration guest is being transferred from the source to the target. In some examples, the migration guest is exposed to the impending migration and takes an action in response. A virtual network programming controller informs other devices in the network of the change, such that those devices may communicate directly with the migration guest on the target host. According to some examples, an “other” virtual network device in communication with the controller and the target host facilitates the seamless migration. In such examples, the forwarding may be performed only until the other virtual machine receives an incoming packet from the target host, and then the other virtual machine resumes communication with the migration guest on the target host.

Abstract: A cache affinity and processor utilization technique efficiently load balances work in a storage input/output (I/O) stack among a plurality of processors and associated processor cores of a node. The storage I/O stack employs one or more non-blocking messaging kernel (MK) threads that execute non-blocking message handlers (i.e., non-blocking services). The technique load balances work between the processor cores sharing a last level cache (LLC) (i.e., intra-LLC processor load balancing), and load balances work between the processors having separate LLCs (i.e., inter-LLC processor load balancing). The technique may allocate a predetermined number of logical processors for use by an MK scheduler to schedule the non-blocking services within the storage I/O stack, as well as allocate a remaining number of logical processors for use by blocking services, e.g., scheduled by an operating system kernel scheduler.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided in which a source and target perform bidirectional forwarding of traffic while a migration guest is being transferred from the source to the target. In some examples, the migration guest is exposed to the impending migration and takes an action in response. A virtual network programming controller informs other devices in the network of the change, such that those devices may communicate directly with the migration guest on the target host. According to some examples, an “other” virtual network device in communication with the controller and the target host facilitates the seamless migration. In such examples, the forwarding may be performed only until the other virtual machine receives an incoming packet from the target host, and then the other virtual machine resumes communication with the migration guest on the target host.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided in which a source and target perform bidirectional forwarding of traffic while a migration guest is being transferred from the source to the target. In some examples, the migration guest is exposed to the impending migration and takes an action in response. A virtual network programming controller informs other devices in the network of the change, such that those devices may communicate directly with the migration guest on the target host. According to some examples, an “other” virtual network device in communication with the controller and the target host facilitates the seamless migration. In such examples, the forwarding may be performed only until the other virtual machine receives an incoming packet from the target host, and then the other virtual machine resumes communication with the migration guest on the target host.

Abstract: A cache affinity and processor utilization technique efficiently load balances work in a storage input/output (I/O) stack among a plurality of processors and associated processor cores of a node. The storage I/O stack employs one or more non-blocking messaging kernel (MK) threads that execute non-blocking message handlers (i.e., non-blocking services). The technique load balances work between the processor cores sharing a last level cache (LLC) (i.e., intra-LLC processor load balancing), and load balances work between the processors having separate LLCs (i.e., inter-LLC processor load balancing). The technique may allocate a predetermined number of logical processors for use by an MK scheduler to schedule the non-blocking services within the storage I/O stack, as well as allocate a remaining number of logical processors for use by blocking services, e.g., scheduled by an operating system kernel scheduler.

Abstract: A cache affinity and processor utilization technique efficiently load balances work in a storage input/output (I/O) stack among a plurality of processors and associated processor cores of a node. The storage I/O stack employs one or more non-blocking messaging kernel (MK) threads that execute non-blocking message handlers (i.e., non-blocking services). The technique load balances work between the processor cores sharing a last level cache (LLC) (i.e., intra-LLC processor load balancing), and load balances work between the processors having separate LLCs (i.e., inter-LLC processor load balancing). The technique may allocate a predetermined number of logical processors for use by an MK scheduler to schedule the non-blocking services within the storage I/O stack, as well as allocate a remaining number of logical processors for use by blocking services, e.g., scheduled by an operating system kernel scheduler.

Abstract: A cache affinity and processor utilization technique efficiently load balances work in a storage input/output (I/O) stack among a plurality of processors and associated processor cores of a node. The storage I/O stack employs one or more non-blocking messaging kernel (MK) threads that execute non-blocking message handlers (i.e., non-blocking services). The technique load balances work between the processor cores sharing a last level cache (LLC) (i.e., intra-LLC processor load balancing), and load balances work between the processors having separate LLCs (i.e., inter-LLC processor load balancing). The technique may allocate a predetermined number of logical processors for use by an MK scheduler to schedule the non-blocking services within the storage I/O stack, as well as allocate a remaining number of logical processors for use by blocking services, e.g., scheduled by an operating system kernel scheduler.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided in which a source and target perform bidirectional forwarding of traffic while a migration guest is being transferred from the source to the target. In some examples, the migration guest is exposed to the impending migration and takes an action in response. A virtual network programming controller informs other devices in the network of the change, such that those devices may communicate directly with the migration guest on the target host. According to some examples, an “other” virtual network device in communication with the controller and the target host facilitates the seamless migration. In such examples, the forwarding may be performed only until the other virtual machine receives an incoming packet from the target host, and then the other virtual machine resumes communication with the migration guest on the target host.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus facilitate the management of input/output (I/O) subsystems in virtual I/O servers to provide appropriate quality of services (QoS). A hierarchical QoS scheme based on partitioning of network interfaces and I/O subsystems transaction types are used to classify Virtual I/O communications. This multi-tier QoS method allows virtual I/O servers to be scalable and provide appropriate QoS granularity.

Abstract: Processes for the control of traffic and Quality of Service (QoS) over a switch fabric network comprised of application servers and virtual I/O servers. In the embodiment, an application server includes virtual device interfaces, a QoS module, and a network port controlled by a packet scheduler. When the QoS module receives a packet from a virtual device interface, the QoS module stores the packet in a queue. The QoS module removes the packet from the queue and transmits it to the packet scheduler, in accordance with a hierarchical token bucket that allocates bandwidth for the port among the virtual device interfaces in the application server. In the embodiment, the port is the root of the hierarchy for the hierarchical token bucket and the virtual device interfaces are the leaves. The packet scheduler uses round-round arbitration to transmit the packet it receives to the port.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus facilitate the management of input/output (I/O) subsystems in virtual I/O servers to provide appropriate quality of services (QoS). A hierarchical QoS scheme based on partitioning of network interfaces and I/O subsystems transaction types are used to classify Virtual I/O communications. This multi-tier QoS method allows virtual I/O servers to be scalable and provide appropriate QoS granularity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus facilitate the management of input/output (I/O) subsystems in virtual I/O servers to provide appropriate quality of services (QoS). A hierarchical QoS scheme based on partitioning of network interfaces and I/O subsystems transaction types are used to classify Virtual I/O communications. This multi-tier QoS method allows virtual I/O servers to be scalable and provide appropriate QoS granularity.