International Business Machines Corporation

Jeffrey William Palm

Renato John Recio

Roger Gregory Hathorn

Daniel Gene Eisenhauer

Scott M Carlson

Kenneth Wayne Boyd

Sandy K Kao

Harry M Yudenfriend

Robert Frederic Kern

Mark Francis Wilding

Gerhard Banzhaf

Stefan Amann

Aaron C Brown

William Frank Micka

Charles Scott Graham

David Michael Shackelford

Kenneth Fairclough Day, Iii

Kevin J Gildea

Helmut H Weber

Donna Eng Dillenberger

Carol T Machuca

John R Flanagan

Daniel Francis Casper

Gregory John Tevis

George Oliver Penokie

Timothy John Klubertanz

Blair K Adamache

Ginny Mahrer McCright

Selwyn David Dickey

Aaron Ches Brown

An enhanced mechanism for providing data protection for variable length records utilizes high performance block storage metadata. In an embodiment, an emulated record that emulates a variable length record, such as a Count-Key-Data (CKD) record or an Extended-Count-Key-Data (ECKD) record, is generated by a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a mainframe system. The emulated record comprises a sequence of extended fixed-length blocks, each of which includes a data block and a footer. A confluence of the footers defines a high performance block storage metadata unit associated with the emulated record and includes a checksum that covers all data blocks and all footers of the entire emulated record. In one embodiment, the checksum is checked during transit of the emulated record between a HBA and a storage subsystem (e.g., by the HBA when the emulated record is received from the storage subsystem, and/or by a switch in the data transfer path), during a hardening step when writing the emulated record to a disk, and/or during a verification step when reading the emulated record from the disk.

Data protection for variable length records by utilizing high performance block storage metadata

In various embodiments a traffic class manager is a resource within a virtualized computer systems trusted entity (e.g. a hypervisor, trusted partition, etc.) that maps requirements from a platform management and associated network capabilities onto an adapter (e.g. SR-IOV adapter, etc.) in order to appropriately allocate adapter and network resources to virtualized computer partitions. In various embodiments the traffic class manager defines network traffic classes that meet the objectives of a platform administrator based on the capabilities of the adapter and the network attached to the adapter ports. Once the traffic classes are defined, in various embodiments, the traffic class manager enforces the assignment of a traffic class to a virtual interface queue pair within a partition.

Discovery and capability exchange management in a virtualized computing platform

A Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device obtains knowledge of the configuration of an attached Ethernet fabric during a fabric initialization or login (FLOGI) process. FCoE N_Ports obtain similar information during the port initialization or login (PLOGI) process. The FCoE device may provide network management services to attached FCoE devices. Embodiments include a management module or processor within an FCoE N_Port. The management module or processor receives information associated with an Ethernet fabric from the FCoE N_Ports and provides management services based on the information associated with the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Port communicatively couples to at least one additional FCoE N_Port through the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Ports may be implemented within a disc storage drive, a host bus adapter, and/or an FCoE switch. The capability of an N_Port to obtain this information allows a management module or processor at the N_Port to manage the Ethernet fabric.

Determining the configuration of an ethernet fabric

A method, system, and computer program product for providing direct communications between FCoE endpoint devices within the same fibre channel network zone. A direct fibre channel (DFC) utility provides an FCoE stack with an exclusive ability to define an Ethertype within an ethertype field of an Ethernet packet with 'FCoE'. In addition, the DFC utility enables storage of access control lists (ACLs) containing allowed destination addresses and allowed source addresses within the adapter of an FCoE endpoint. Additionally, the DFC utility initiates an exchange of messages with an Ethernet switch to determine a feasibility of establishing direct connections between endpoints. In particular, the DFC utility determines whether the Ethernet switch supports FCoE ACL checking. Further, the DFC utility creates a zone ID for the FCoE endpoint device. The DFC utility allows direct communication between FCoE endpoints within the same fibre zone.

Access control list endpoint implementation

A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. In one embodiment, network device driver software provides a 'Fibre Channel over Ethernet' communication capability and methodology. Device driver software manages a Fibre Channel to Ethernet and Ethernet to Fibre Channel address translation in real time for data packet communications in the network system. Different embodiments of the disclosed network system include multiple name servers and network device driver software that together provide multiple adapter name discovery methodologies. In one embodiment, the adapter name discovery methodologies include port name discovery and adapter attributes discovery.

Method and apparatus for an adapter in a network device to discover its adapter name in a network system

A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. In one embodiment, network device driver software provides a 'Fiber Channel over Ethernet' communication capability and methodology. Device driver software manages a Fiber Channel to Ethernet and Ethernet to Fiber Channel address translation in real time for data packet communications in the network system. Different embodiments of the disclosed network system include multiple name servers and network device driver software that together provide multiple adapter name discovery methodologies. In one embodiment, the adapter name discovery methodologies include port name discovery and adapter attributes discovery.

Method and apparatus for enabling an adapter in a network device to discover the name of another adapter of another network device in a network system

A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. An Ethernet component gateway in a Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) initiator system converts FCoE data packets from host devices to Fiber Channel over Internet Protocol (FCIP) data packets for transmission to a Storage Area Network (SAN) target system. The SAN target system may include a target Fiber Channel (FC) storage device and a SAN component gateway. The SAN component gateway converts FCIP data packets to SAN data packets for use by the target FC storage device. The SAN data packets may be either FC protocol data packets or FCoE protocol data packets. The SAN target system may provide for discovery of target FC storage device adapter information.

Network system with initiator subnetwork communication to target subnetwork communication including fibre channel over ethernet to fibre channel over internet protocol conversion

Data protection method for variable length records by utilizing high performance block storage metadata

A Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device obtains knowledge of the configuration of an attached Ethernet fabric from data fields within a frame header during a fabric initialization or login (FLOGI) process. FCoE N_Ports obtain similar information during the port initialization or login (PLOGI) process. The FCoE device may provide network management services to attached FCoE devices. Embodiments include a management module or processor within an FCoE N_Port. The management module or processor receives a frame having a header and validates and extracts information associated with an Ethernet fabric from the FCoE N_Ports and in order to provide management services based on the information associated with the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Port communicatively couples to at least one additional FCoE N_Port through the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Ports may be implemented within a disc storage drive, a host bus adapter, and/or an FCoE switch. The capability of an N_Port to obtain this information allows a management module or processor at the N_Port to manage the Ethernet fabric.

Fibre channel framing and signaling optional header for ethernet fabric configuration information

In various embodiments a traffic class manager is a resource within a virtualized computer systems trusted entity (i.e. a hypervisor, trusted partition, etc.) which maps requirements from a platform management and associated network capabilities onto an SR-IOV adapter in order to appropriately allocate SR-IOV adapter and network resources to the virtualized computer partitions. In various embodiments the traffic class manager defines network traffic classes that meet the objectives of a platform administrator based on the capabilities of the SR-IOV adapter and the network attached to the adapter ports. Once the traffic classes are defined, in various embodiments, the traffic class manager enforces the assignment of a traffic class to a virtual interface queue pair within a partition.

Discovery and capability exchange management in a virtualized computing platform utilizing a SR-IOV adapter

A sequence of fixed-size blocks defines a page (e.g., in a server system, storage subsystem, DASD, etc.). Each fixed-size block includes a data block and a footer. A high performance block storage metadata unit associated with the page is created from a confluence of the footers. The confluence of footers has space available for application metadata. In an embodiment, the metadata space is utilized to record a 'write activity level' metric, and a timestamp. The metric indicates the write frequency or 'hotness' of the page, and its value changes over time as the activity level changes. Frequently accessed pages may be mapped to higher performance physical disks and infrequently accessed pages may be mapped to lower power physical disks.

Data storage performance enhancement through a write activity level metric recorded in high performance block storage metadata

An encryption method encrypts a clear text twice using a first encryption engine to produce a first cipher text and a second encryption engine to produce a second cipher text. The method compares the first cipher text with the second cipher text, or compares a checksum of the first cipher text with a checksum of the second cipher text. If the comparison succeeds, the method transmits the data. In some embodiments, the method uses a first instance of an encryption key to produce the first cipher text and a second instance of the encryption key to produce the second cipher text.

Encryption data integrity check with dual parallel encryption engines

An enhanced mechanism for the allocation, organization and utilization of high performance block storage metadata provides a stream of data (e.g., in a server system, storage system, DASD, etc.) that includes a sequence of fixed-size blocks which together define a page. Each of the fixed-size blocks includes a data block and a footer. A high performance block storage metadata unit associated with the page is created from a confluence of the footers. Each footer in the confluence of footers has space available for application metadata, which are provided as one or more information units. At least one of the footers includes a Checksum field containing a checksum that covers at least the confluence of footers. This approach is advantageous in that it provides data integrity protection, protects against stale data, and significantly increases the amount of metadata space available for application use.

Providing and utilizing high performance block storage metadata

Providing extended or end-to-end data integrity through layers of a system. In one aspect, information is to be transmitted between an application end of the system and a physical storage medium that stores the information for a database of the system, the information to be transmitted via a database server in a database server layer of the system. At least a portion of data protection is provided for the information, the data protection causing the information to be protected from corruption between a system layer and the physical storage medium, where the system layer is a separate layer provided closer to the application end of the system than the database server layer.

Method and system providing extended and end-to-end data integrity through database and other system layers

A method for detecting a switch failure and managing switch failover in a Fiber Channel over Ethernet network. The plurality of Fiber Channel over Ethernet switches are connected to an intermediary Ethernet switch and to each other via an Ethernet connection. The intermediary Ethernet switch is different from the plurality of Fiber Channel over Ethernet switches. A plurality of end ports are also connected to the intermediary Ethernet switch. A failure is detected in a first switch in the plurality of Fiber Channel over Ethernet switches. The first switch is associated with a first end port in the plurality of end ports. A failure notification is sent to the first end port using the intermediary Ethernet switch. The failure notification might specify a second switch destination and an identification of the first switch. A fabric login is exchanged between the first end port and the second switch.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, MN, United States of America

Jeffrey William Palm