Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Oracle International Corporation

Oracle America, Inc.

Martin Paul Mayhead

James E King

Paul Jeffrey Garnett

Peter Heffernan

Bjorn Dag Johnsen

Ola Tørudbakken

Ariel Hendel

Michael J Wookey

Bjørn Dag Johnsen

Ola Torudbakken

Thomas E Giles

Emrys John Williams

Brandon Eugene Taylor

Nigel D Ritson

Bjorn-Dag Johnsen

Gradimir Starovic

Leo A Hejza

Karen Roles

Brian Joseph Gillespie

Stephen C Evans

Graham D Parrington

James Radley

Steven Evans

Nigel Ritson

A system and method can support flooding mechanism using a packet process proxy in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance can send the flooded packet to a designated virtual interface on a host server, and a packet process proxy on the host server can forward the flooded packet to a virtual machine on another host server for processing this packet.

System and method for using a packet process proxy to support a flooding mechanism in a middleware machine environment

A system and method can support a scalable packet forwarding mechanism in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances, wherein each network switch instance is associated with one or more external ports that are adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of packet dispatching components, each of which is responsible for forwarding a data packet to a virtual machine on a host server that operates to process the data packet. Additionally, a link aggregation component can combine multiple external ports into a logical port, and wherein the bandwidth of the logical port is linearly scaled accordingly to a total number of the multiple external ports.

System and method for supporting a scalable flooding mechanism in a middleware machine environment

A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource, such as a network fabric, via an input/out (I/O) device. The boot image can receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from the host node, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node. Furthermore, the host-based firmware upgrade can be based on a special boot image that is prevented from accessing local information on the host node, or a normal boot image that is prevented from controlling the I/O device.

System and method for supporting host-based firmware upgrade of input/output (I/O) devices in a middleware machine environment

A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide an input/output (I/O) device, which is associated with a host node. The host node can use the I/O device to connect to a shared resource, and the I/O device operates to receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from a fabric administrator that manages the shared resource, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device. Furthermore, the system allows the fabric administrator to send said at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update to the I/O device, using either an in-band connection or a side-band connection.

System and method for supporting in-band/side-band firmware upgrade of input/output (I/O) devices in a middleware machine environment

A system and method can support packet direct forwarding in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment comprises one or more external ports on at least one network switch instance, wherein each external port can receive one or more data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment comprises a plurality of host channel adapter (HCA) ports on one or more host servers, wherein each said HCA port is associated with a said host server, and each said host server can support one or more virtual machines that operate to process the one or more data packets. The at least one network switch operate to send a packet received at an external port to a designated HCA port associated with the external port. An external switch in the external network can send the data packet to the particular external port based on a packet distribution algorithm.

System and method for supporting direct packet forwarding in a middleware machine environment

A system and method can support a flooding mechanism using a multicast group in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving one or more data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines that can process the data packets. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance operates to send the flooded packet to the multicast group that operates to forward the flooded packet to one or more said host servers in the multicast group.

System and method for using a multicast group to support a flooding mechanism in a middleware machine environment

A system and method can support virtual machine migration in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances with one or more external ports, each of which is adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of virtual interfaces on one or more host servers. Each host server is associated with one or more virtual machines that can process the one or more data packets. A virtual machine on a first host server is allowed to migrate from the first host server to a second host server and operates to receive one or more packets via a virtual interface on the second host server and process the one or more data packets.

System and method for supporting virtual machine migration in a middleware machine environment

A system provides a registration client capable of querying a network to discover at least one asset existing on the network. The system receives, at the registration client, registration information from at least one asset. The registration client receives the registration information as a result of an interrogation of at least one asset. The system registers at least one asset using the registration information received from at least one asset. The registration client registers the asset.

Methods and apparatus for discovery driven product registration

A domain manager establishes an administrative domain for a network that has an associated set of assets and an associated set of users. The domain manager identifies at least one asset of the set of assets to be included in the administrative domain. An asset can be a hardware resource (e.g., computer, router, etc.) and/or a software resource (e.g., word processing application). In addition, the domain manager identifies at least one user of the set of users to be included in the administrative domain. The domain manager also establishes a set of roles within the administrative domain. For example, each role can define permissions (e.g., levels of accessibility) between a user and an asset (or group of assets) in the administrative domain.

Administrative grouping of network resources

An information processing module includes a processor subsystem including a processor and memory. The information processing module is configured as a field replaceable unit blade server removably receivable in a carrier. Redundant external connections are provided for interconnection with the carrier. The external connections for carry information signals, management signals and power. The information processing module can be configured as a field replaceable blade server. The provision of a limited set of redundant connections provides for highly reliable interconnection between the information processing module and the carrier.

Interfacing computer modules

A computer system comprises a plurality of processing modules, each operable to provide a service to an external entity. Each processing module has a processor and a memory. A storage module is provided, operable to store information required by the processing modules to provide the service. A switching module is also provided, operable to provide a switching service between the processing module and storage module and between the processing module and an external entity.

Common storage in scalable computer systems

First and second host systems can each include a respective repository of host identities. The first host system can encode a host identity to be transferred to the second host system using a parameter, for example a property of the second host system. The first host system can divulge the result of the encoding and remove the host identity from its repository. The second host system can decode the host identity to be transferred using the parameter, and can then add the host identity to be transferred to its repository.

Growing community of inventors

Hindhead, United Kingdom

Martin Paul Mayhead