Disclosed is an improved approach to implement I/O and storage device management in a virtualization environment. According to some approaches, a Service VM is employed to control and manage any type of storage device, including directly attached storage in addition to networked and cloud storage. The Service VM implements the Storage Controller logic in the user space, and can be migrated as needed from one node to another. IP-based requests are used to send I/O request to the Service VMs. The Service VM can directly implement storage and I/O optimizations within the direct data access path, without the need for add-on products.

The deployment and scaling of a network of electronic devices can be improved by utilizing one or more network transpose boxes. Each transpose box can include a number of connectors and a meshing useful for implementing a specific network topology. Different tiers of a network can be connected to one or more of the network transpose boxes, and operated as a logical switch. A control server can be used to manage the control plane operations of the logical switch.

An apparatus in a first computing device is provided. During operation, the apparatus can present, to a processor of the first computing device, a virtual interface switch (VIS) coupled to an interface port of the processor. The apparatus can present to the processor that a target device, which is reachable via a remote apparatus of a second computing device, is coupled to the VIS. The apparatuses can be coupled via at least a first fabric and a second fabric. A respective fabric may facilitate communication based on a fabric switching protocol. The apparatus can obtain a set of packets, which can be issued from the interface port via the VIS and directed to the target device. The apparatus can then forward, to the remote apparatus, a first subset of the set of packets via the first fabric and a second subset of the set of packets via the second fabric.

The disclosure provides an approach for deploying an software defined networking (SDN) solution on a host using a single virtual switch and a single active network interface card (NIC) to handle overlay traffic and also other types of network traffic, such as traffic between management components of the logical overlay networks, traffic of a virtual storage area network (VSAN), traffic used to move VMs between hosts, traffic associated with VMKernel services or network stacks provided by a VMKernel that is provided as part of the hypervisor on the host, a gateway device that may be implemented as a VCI on the host, and different SDN-related components, such as an SDN manager implementing the MP and an SDN controller implementing the CP, etc.

The disclosure provides an approach for deploying an software defined networking (SDN) solution on a host using a single virtual switch and a single active network interface card (NIC) to handle overlay traffic and also other types of network traffic, such as traffic between management components of the logical overlay networks, traffic of a virtual storage area network (VSAN), traffic used to move VMs between hosts, traffic associated with VMKernel services or network stacks provided by a VMKernel that is provided as part of the hypervisor on the host, a gateway device that may be implemented as a VCI on the host, and different SDN-related components, such as an SDN manager implementing the MP and an SDN controller implementing the CP, etc.

Systems and methods for providing bandwidth congestion control in a private fabric in a high performance computing environment. An exemplary method can provide, at one or more microprocessors, a first subnet, the first subnet comprising a plurality of switches, and a plurality of host channel adapters, wherein each of the host channel adapters comprise at least one host channel adapter port, and wherein the plurality of host channel adapters are interconnected via the plurality of switches, and a plurality of end nodes. The method can provide, at a host channel adapter, an end node ingress bandwidth quota associated with an end node attached to the host channel adapter. The method can receive, at the end node of the host channel adapter, ingress bandwidth, the ingress bandwidth exceeding the ingress bandwidth quota of the end node.

A system includes a storage system and circuitry coupled to the storage system. The circuitry is configured to perform operations comprising determining a type of a received data packet, determining a destination of the received data packet, and determining whether the received data packet is of a particular type or has a particular destination. The operations further comprise, responsive to determining that the received data packet is of the particular type or has the particular destination, rerouting the received data packet from the particular destination to a register of the storage system.

A method for dynamically allocating buffer credits between a system and a storage area network (SAN). The method includes one or more computer processors determining a forecast of a change related to a pattern of network traffic that originates from a computing system that links to a storage area network (SAN) via a network connection. The method further includes determining whether the forecast change related to the pattern of network traffic dictates a change to a buffer credit allocation associated with the network connection. The method further includes responding to determining that the forecast change related to the pattern of network traffic dictates the buffer credit allocation change by determining a value for the buffer credit allocation associated with the change. The method further includes transmitting a request to a switch of the SAN to modify a buffer credit allocation value corresponding to a port of the switch linked to the network connection.

Example implementations relate to hard zoning capabilities for devices using Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) protocol. For example, a method includes creating a virtual local area network (VLAN) at an Ethernet switch between an initiator and target adapter. The method includes assigning an access control list (ACL) to the VLAN. The method includes segregating a device of a plurality of devices connected to the SAN into a zone group. The method also includes controlling access of a zone group based on the ACL and frame filtering.

A server cluster including a network switch and multiple server nodes is provided. The network switch is connected to an external network. Each server node performs an operation system and respectively includes a network port, a network chip and a south bridge chip. The network port is connected to the network switch via a cable. The network chip outputs a power-off signal according to a received power-off packet after the network switch is started. The south bridge chip outputs a shutdown signal to shut down the server node according to the power-off signal when the server node is turned on and the operation system is working normally.