International Business Machines Corporation

Mikel William Welsh

Roger Gregory Hathorn

Steven Edward Klein

John R Flanagan

Christopher J Colonna

Patricia G Driever

Mooheng Zee

Richard Mark Sczepczenski

Alol Antony Crasta

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method embodiments for reverting from a new security association to a previous security association in response to an error during a rekey operation. The responder maintains a first security association with the initiator having a first key to use to encrypt and decrypt messages transmitted with the initiator. The responder receives a message from the initiator for a rekey operation to establish a second security association with the initiator using a second key. The responder queues Input/Output (I/O) for transmission using the second key after completing the rekey operation. After activating the second security association, the responder receives a revert message from the initiator to revert back to using the first security association and first key in response to a failure of the rekey operation.

Reverting from a new security association to a previous security association in response to an error during a rekey operation

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method embodiments for reverting from a new security association to a previous security association in response to an error during a rekey operation. An initiator maintains a first security association with the responder having a first key to use to encrypt and decrypt data transmitted with the responder. The initiator initiates a rekey operation to establish a second security association with the responder using a second key. The initiator detects a failure of the rekey operation after the responder started using the second key for transmissions. A revert message is sent to the responder to revert back to using the first security association and first key in response to detecting the failure of the rekey operation.

Provided are a computer program product, system and method embodiments for secure communication between an initiator and a responder over a network. The responder receives, from the initiator, a security association initialization message to establish a security association with the responder including key material used to generate a key for the security association. The responder receives an authentication message from the initiator to program the responder to establish authentication between the responder and the initiator after establishing the security association. The responder sends an authentication message response to the initiator to establish authentication with the responder in response to the authentication message. The responder sends an authentication done message to the initiator after sending the authentication message response to cause the initiator to activate using the security association and the key to encrypt and decrypt communication between the responder and initiator.

Establishing a security association and authentication to secure communication between an initiator and a responder

Provided are a computer program product, system and method embodiments for secure communication between an initiator and a responder over a network. The initiator sends a security association initialization message to the responder to establish a security association including key material used to generate a key for the security association. In response to receiving a security association initialization response to accept the security association, the initiator sends an authentication message to the responder to establish authentication between the responder and the initiator. In response to receiving an authentication message response to the authentication message, the initiator is programmed with the security association. An authentication done message is received from the responder after receiving the authentication message response. The initiator activates the security association to use the key to secure communication between the responder and initiator in response to receiving the authentication done message.

Information maintained in a port control block of an embedded port of a host bus adapter is stored in a host bus adapter memory, wherein the information corresponds to login attributes and state data of remote ports. In response to storing the information in the host bus adapter memory, code in the embedded port is updated. In response to the updating of the code in the embedded port, the stored information is restored from the host bus adapter memory to the port control block of the embedded port.

Preservation of port control block information related to logins and states of remote ports during a code load in an embedded port

An interface hardware of a device suspends processing of frames from a receive queue maintained by a firmware stored in the memory of the interface hardware. New firmware is loaded for the interface hardware, in response to the suspending of the processing of frames from the receive queue, and in response to receiving at least one command subsequent to loading of a new driver software for a driver of the device. The processing of frames from the receive queue is resumed, in response to the loading of the new firmware.

Upgrade of firmware in an interface hardware of a device in association with the upgrade of driver software for the device

Processing of frames from a receive queue maintained by a port firmware of an embedded port of a host bus adapter is suspended via a request from a driver of the host bus adapter. New driver software is loaded for the host bus adapter and new port firmware is loaded in the embedded port, in response to the suspending of the processing of frames from the receive queue. The processing of frames from the receive queue is resumed via another request from the driver of the host bus adapter, in response to the loading of the new driver software and the new port firmware.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Mikel William Welsh