International Business Machines Corporation

Michael Paul Cyr

James Anthony Pafumi

Vasu Vallabhaneni

Morgan Jeffrey Rosas

James P Allen

James Britt Partridge

Robert G Kovacs

Veena Ganti

Gerald Francis McBrearty

Shawn Patrick Mullen

Johnny Meng-Han Shieh

Jacob Jason Rosales

William F Lawless

Carl Duane Bender

Terrance L Staley, Ii

James Allen

James Partridge

With N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV), a managed system can be configured so that multiple logical partitions (LPARs) can access independent physical storage through the same physical fiber channel adapter. An NPIV client recovery component of a virtualization management component, such as a Power Hypervisor (pHYP), provides the emulation mapping between server and client virtual fiber channel adapters. The pHYP also provides a mechanism that prevents client partition crashes when the NPIV server (e.g., a VIOS logical partition) goes down. When the NPIV server is rebooted or powers down, the pHYP handles the client LPARs to avoid a crash by removing processing resources from the client logical partition. Thereby, the client logical partition is prevented from attempting to access a root volume group in physical storage via the NPIV server. The pHYP allocates processor resources to the client LPAR when the NPIV server is again available for I/O processing.

Mechanism for NPIV client recovery when NPIV server goes down

A first Virtual Input/Output Server (VIOS) of a VIOS cluster performs the functions of: generating, at a sending daemon of the first VIOS, a send message that is to be transmitted to a receiving daemon at a second VIOS; in response to completion of the generating of the send message, forwarding the send message to a sending virtual small computer systems interface (vscsi) kernel extension (VKE) via a system call interface; and in response to the sending VKE receiving the send message from the sending daemon, forwarding the send message to one or more second VIOSes within the VIOS cluster utilizing a kcluster interface. The sending VKE parses at least one of a message header and a sub-header of the send message; and responsive to detection of a broadcast setting for the send message, the VKE forwards the send message to all nodes within the cluster via a cluster broadcast.

Communication protocol for virtual input/output server (VIOS) cluster communication

Systems, methods and media for providing to a plurality of WPARs private access to physical storage connected to a server through a VIOS are disclosed. In one embodiment, a server is logically partitioned to form a working partition comprising a WPAR manager and individual WPARs. Each WPAR is assigned to a different virtual port. The virtual ports are created by using NPIV protocol between the WPAR and VIOS. Thereby, each WPAR has private access to the physical storage connected to the VIOS.

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients that share a common operating system of logical partition

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients using node port ID virtualization

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients using key authentication

Disclosed is a computer implemented method, data processing system and computer program product to discover an SCSI target. The method comprises a client adapter transmitting an N_port ID virtualization (NPIV) login to a virtual I/O server (VIOS). The client adapter receives a successful login acknowledgement from the VIOS and issues a discover-targets command to the fabric. Upon determining that the SCSI target information is received, wherein the SCSI target information includes at least one SCSI identifier. Responsive a determination that SCSI target information is received the client adapter issues a port login to a target port, wherein the target port is associated with the at least one SCSI target. The client adapter makes a process login to form an initiator/target nexus between a client and at least one SCSI target. The client adapter queries the SCSI target by using a world wide port name associated with the target port.

Fibre channel N-port ID virtualization protocol

With N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV), a managed system can be configured so that multiple logical partitions (LPARs) can access independent physical storage through the same physical fibre channel adapter. An NPIV client recovery component of a virtualization management component, such as a Power Hypervisor (pHYP), provides the emulation mapping between server and client virtual fibre channel adapters. The pHYP also provides a mechanism that prevents client partition crashes when the NPIV server (e.g., a VIOS logical partition) goes down. When the NPIV server is rebooted or powers down, the pHYP handles the client LPARs to avoid a crash by removing processing resources from the client logical partition. Thereby, the client logical partition is prevented from attempting to access a root volume group in physical storage via the NPIV server. The pHYP allocates processor resources to the client LPAR when the NPIV server is again available for I/O processing.

Mechanism for preventing client partition crashes by removing processing resources from the client logical partition when an NPIV server goes down

Method and apparatus for a fibre channel N-port ID virtualization protocol

Mechanisms are provided for detecting changes in virtual storage device configurations. The mechanisms detect an event corresponding to a change in configuration of a virtual storage device. The virtual storage device is comprised of a plurality of portions of a plurality of physical storage devices. The mechanisms further, in response to detecting the event, determine if the change in configuration of the virtual storage device results in a change in the types of physical storage devices that are part of the virtual storage device. Moreover, the mechanisms further transmit a notification, in response to a determination that the change in configuration of the virtual storage device results in a change in the types of physical storage devices that are part of the virtual storage device, of the results of the change in configuration of the virtual storage device to one or more registered recipients registered to receive such notifications.

Identifying dynamically changing virtual storage devices

Mechanisms for providing to a plurality of WPARs private access to physical storage connected to a server through a VIOS are disclosed. In one embodiment, a server is logically partitioned to form a working partition comprising a WPAR manager and individual WPARs. Each WPAR is assigned to a different virtual port. The virtual ports are created by using NPIV protocol between the WPAR and VIOS. Thereby, each WPAR has private access to the physical storage connected to the VIOS.

A mechanism is provided for altering access to a network. A virtual I/O server controller in a virtual I/O server operating system receives an indication that an identified communications adapter requires attention. The virtual I/O server controller issues a set of calls to a set of N_port identification virtualization server adapters coupled to the identified communications adapter. Each of the set of calls indicates to each of the set of N_port identification virtualization server adapters a request to move a set of clients from their assigned port on the identified communications adapter to an available port on a failover communications adapter. The set of N_port identification virtualization server adapters moves the set of clients from the identified communications adapter to the failover communications adapter.

Altering access to a fibre channel fabric

A data processing system that supports verifiable IPSec network communication. The data processing system comprises an IPSec network adapter that connects the data processing system to an external network and provides IPSec encryption and routing of IPSec packets. The data processing system also comprises a network adapter verifier, which is a secondary network card that is utilized to verify that IPSec packets being transmitted to the external network by the IPSec network adapter have been encrypted. The network adapter verifier comprises a device driver, which caches a copy of an IP address from a generated IPSec packet prior to the packet being received by the network adapter. The network adapter verifier is connected to the external network and monitors the transmission of packets out to the network connection by the network adapter. The IP identification (ID) of the packets are compared to the captured IP address of the generated IPSec packet. When the IP address of the transmitted packet is not the same as that of the generated/cached IP address, the network adapter has failed to correctly encode the packet according to IPSec, and the transmission is thus not secure. The transmission of the stream of packets is therefore terminated.

IPSec network adapter verifier

A system and method for migrating a client partition between computer electronic complexes (CECs) while maintaining access to a Storage Area Network. An active and inactive world wide port name are generated for a client virtual channel adapter. A query is sent to a name server from the VIOS on the source CEC. The name server creates a list of small computer system interface (SCSI) targets that are available. The list is used by the VIOS on the destination CEC to verify whether any physical ports in the destination CEC have access to the same SCSI target. The client partition may be migrated between a source CEC and a destination CEC and the access to the Storage Area Network access may be maintained.

Method for moving operating systems between computer electronic complexes without loss of service

Outlines of a polygon are rendered using a set of rules to determine whether each pixel defining the polygon is to be activated. Following the set of rules, the pixel is not activated when the pixel is the last pixel of the line being drawn in a negative direction or the pixel is the first pixel of the line being drawn in a positive direction. Further, the pixel is capable of being activated when the center of the pixel lies on or to the right of the line, the pixel is the first pixel of a horizontal group of pixels and the line is located in the fifth or seventh octant, or the pixel is the last pixel of the horizontal group and the line is located in the first or third octant. The value determined from the above rules is then exclusive ORed with the current pixel value to determine if the pixel is to be rendered. After the outline is rendered, the outline is filled.

Growing community of inventors

Georgetown, TX, United States of America

Michael Paul Cyr