International Business Machines Corporation

Michael E Starling

Louie Arthur Dickens

Daniel James Winarski

Tara Lynn Astigarraga

Roger Gregory Hathorn

Allen Keith Bates

Christopher V Derobertis

Richard Hutzler

William Maurice Smith, Jr

Laurence William Holley

Olive Paige Faries

Nils Haustein

George G Zamora

Michael D Hocker

Kevin Dale Butt

Nancy Vedder Ryson

David L Binning

Nhan Xuan Bui

Reed Alan Hancock

Stephen Leonard Schwartz

Cam-Thuy Do

Antonio Y Pacheco

Simulating latency in a network environment. A device sends a latency request. The device receives a latency support confirmation. The device builds an I/O frame. The I/O frame comprises a latency simulating bit and a latency duration. Based on the latency simulating bit and the latency duration, the device holds the I/O frame. The device sends the I/O frame.

Introducing latency and delay for test or debug purposes in a SAN environment

For handling data being communicated over lossless Ethernet that is sensitive to delays, a processor designates data being transmitted over an Ethernet connection as one of low latency data and standard data. The processor further indicates that a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device supports transmission of the low latency data using a type length value (TLV) of a data center bridging capability exchange protocol (DCBX) as of Aug. 10, 2010. The processor transmits the low latency data and indicating that the low latency data being transmitted is low latency data. The processor detects one or more delays in the transmission of the low latency data. The processor issues a flow control command to pause a port from sending frames to the Ethernet for a given amount of time in response to detecting the one or more delays.

Priority data transmission using fibre channel over ethernet

A SAN testing application may be provided to restrict the utilization of one or more SAN device resources. The restricted, or throttled, resource(s) enables a smaller load to stress a SAN switch to effectively emulate a larger load. Resource throttling may, for example, result in the rapid filling of switch buffers and corresponding computational stress. The emulated load allows for all ports of a SAN switch to be simultaneously tested without the need or expense of a large number computing devices stressing the SAN. The SAN device with throttled resource(s) may be located within a testing environment or may be located in a functioning SAN to determine SAN bottlenecks prior to critical loading.

Simulating a large network load

Embodiments relate to providing a secure management agent for high-availability continuity for cloud systems. An aspect includes receiving operating parameters and threshold settings for a plurality of computing clouds. Secure relationships are established with the plurality of computing clouds based on the operating parameters. Data is mirrored across the plurality of computing clouds. Threshold data is then monitored for the plurality of computing clouds to maintain a continuity of resources for the plurality of computing clouds.

Secure cloud management agent

A path selection module selects at least two fiber channel paths between a fiber channel host and a fiber channel destination. A trace route module performs one or more fiber channel trace route procedures for each of the at least two fiber channel paths. The trace route module provides a set of fiber channel links between the fiber channel host and the fiber channel destination for each of the at least two fiber channel paths. A record registration module registers with one or more event servers to receive link incident records for the fiber channel links in the sets of fiber channel links.

Storage area network path management

Buffer credits are starved upon a storage area network (SAN) switch. The starved buffer credit restricts a SAN switch buffer and enables a smaller load to stress the SAN switch, effectively emulating a larger load. Credit starvation may partially inhibit a SAN switch from delivering frames resulting in the filling of the SAN switch buffer and corresponding computational stress. The emulated load allows for all ports of a SAN switch to be simultaneously tested without the need or expense of a large number computing devices stressing the SAN. The SAN switch may be located within a test SAN environment or may be located in a functioning SAN environment to determine SAN bottlenecks prior to critical loading.

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for handling data being communicated over lossless Ethernet that is sensitive to delays. Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is one example of an environment where data may be subject to unacceptable delays. The method involves designating certain data as low latency data that is sensitive to delays in transmission. The low latency data is then transmitted in such a manner that the receiving devices are aware that they are receiving low latency data. If a delay in the transmission of low latency is detected, commands are issued that pause or slow standard data in order to free up bandwidth for the low latency data. The commands may be, for example, backward congestion notifications and priority flow control. Low latency data is exempted from backward congestion notifications and priority flow control. Priority 7 priority group 15 may be reserved exclusively for low latency data.

Various embodiments for regulating link speed for performance enhancement and port diagnosis are provided. In response to identifying an amount of errors in a communications link above a predetermined threshold, an applicable transmission speed is selectively reduced. If errors identified at the reduced transmission speed are found to decrease, a communications port incorporating the communications link is flagged as potentially dirty, and if the errors identified at the reduced transmission speed are found to remain constant, the communications port is flagged as potentially bad.

Link speed downshifting for error determination and performance enhancements

In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to cause the processor to determine that a link configured to transmit data between two end points in a networking system has become degraded, encode data prior to transmitting the data across the degraded link, and transmit the encoded data across the degraded link provided that data transmitted across a normal link is not encoded. In another embodiment, a method for selectively overcoming a degraded link in a networking system includes determining that a link configured to transmit data between two end points has become degraded, encoding data prior to transmitting the data across the degraded link, and transmitting the encoded data across the degraded link.

Selective convolution encoding of data transmitted over degraded links

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for implementing a converged network protocol to facilitate communication between different communication protocol networks. There are configuration parameters in a memory for communication between the first adaptor implementing a first communication protocol and the second adaptor in a converged network protocol to indicate to the second adaptor that the converged network protocol is supported. A packet is received at the first adaptor encoded in a second communication protocol directed to a third communication protocol network, forwarded to the second adaptor, and then forwarded to the third communication protocol network. A command is received at the second adaptor, directed to the first adaptor, to implement a first function in the converged network protocol for communication between the first and second adaptors. A second function in the first communication protocol to implement the first function is transmitted to the first adaptor.

Bridge for implementing a converged network protocol to facilitate communication between different communication protocol networks

A method, system, and computer program product for performing robust, parallel data transfer by a processor device. Data is segmented into k-bit segments, where k&#x2267;1. The k-bit segments are convolution encoded, using m&#x2267;1 stages of delay. The n output streams are transmitted in parallel for increased effective data rate, where n&#x3e;k. The n output streams are received. An XOR (Exclusive OR) logic is applied to the n output streams with pathing allowed by the convolution encoding, in a trellis-decoding diagram.

Convolution-encoded hyper-speed channel with robust trellis error-correction

For authorizing removable medium access, a reassembly module retrieves a medium portion of an encryption key from a removable medium. The encryption key encrypts encrypted data stored on the removable medium and includes a plurality of portions. The reassembly module further retrieves the user portion of the encryption key assigned to a user requesting the removable medium. The reassembly module reassembles the encryption key using at least the medium portion and the user portion of the plurality of portions. The decryption module decrypts the encrypted data with the reassembled encryption key.

Authorizing removable medium access

A system for providing a secure management agent for high-availability continuity for cloud systems includes a computer processor and logic executable by the computer processor. The logic is configured to implement a method. The method includes receiving operating parameters and threshold settings for a plurality of computing clouds. Secure relationships are established with the plurality of computing clouds based on the operating parameters. Data is mirrored across the plurality of computing clouds. Threshold data is then monitored for the plurality of computing clouds to maintain a continuity of resources for the plurality of computing clouds.

A method for providing a secure management agent for high-availability continuity for cloud systems includes receiving operating parameters and threshold settings for a plurality of computing clouds. Secure relationships are established with the plurality of computing clouds based on the operating parameters. Data is mirrored across the plurality of computing clouds. Threshold data is then monitored for the plurality of computing clouds to maintain a continuity of resources for the plurality of computing clouds.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Michael E Starling