Netapp, Inc.

Network Appliance, Inc.

Guy Oliveira

James A Hart

Stephen R Chinn

John D Moores

Michael James Rydeen

Mark R Parquette

Gene M Ciancaglini

Salil A Parikh

Michael M Garofalo

William Proulx

Donald Proulx

Michael Lupinacci

Paul Marichal

Muriel Medard

Steven Lumetta

A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a BANDWIDTH_ALLOCATOR to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a NODE, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of NODEs for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth.

Multi-protocol network interface card

A node is removed/added from a network with minimal disruption by actuating a mechanism on an adjacent node that provides an indication to a controller node, which commands a wrap of the adjacent nodes. Once the node is added/removed, the wrap can be removed to resume normal operation. With this arrangement, disruption of traffic flow is minimized as nodes are added and removed from the network.

Non-disruptive network topology modification

A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a bandwidth allocator to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a node, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of nodes for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth.

Integrated system and method for controlling telecommunication network data communicated over a local area network and storage data communicated over a storage area network

Growing community of inventors

Dover, NH, United States of America

Guy Oliveira