Dell Products Inc.

Pawan Kumar Singal

Balaji Rajagopalan

Joseph LaSalle White

Erik P Smith

Sudhir Vittal Shetty

Zoheb Khan

Ning Zhuang

Sakti Lakshmiy R Paulchamy

Kevin Kiyoshi Matsuo

Babu Krishna Chandrasekhar

Claudio Desanti

Eric Kuzmack

Joyas Joseph

Kavitha Govindasami

Dhanunjayareddy Madhana

Balasubramanian Muthukrishnan

Karthik Krishnamurthy

Venkata Bala Koteswararao Donepudi

Mihai Lazar

Archana Potnuru

Charles Park

Sreejith Sethumadhavan

Charles Chul Hyon Park

System and method embodiments of centralized discovery controller (CDC) services on a switching network fabric are disclosed. Nodes on the switching network fabric are categorized into leader nodes, e.g., spine switches, and follower nodes, e.g., leaf switches. The CDC services may be divided into centralized CDC services and distributed CDC services, which have direct connections to endpoints for seamless horizontal scaling of endpoints. The centralized CDC services may be placed on a leader node, and the distributed CDC services may be placed among the follower nodes. Operations of the CDC services may be monitored. In case of a node failure, CDC services deployed on the failed node may be moved or transferred to one or more other nodes that have the same role as the failed node. Implementations of the CDC service placement embodiments enable seamless horizontal scaling for endpoints and provide capability for more visibility and monitoring of endpoint.

Placement of containerized applications in a network for embedded centralized discovery controller (CDC) deployment

Systems and methods provide automated, lightweight, and centralized implementations for distributing and securely managing the lifecycle of containerized third-party applications on a cluster of network switches that typically have relatively limited computing resources. The deployed containerized applications may be seamlessly updated and expanded separately from the host network operating system without the complexities involved in a registry infrastructure, such as Kubernetes, Docker, or similar container orchestration platform, without compromising security, and without interfering with the common switching functions and switching protocols of switches in the cluster.

Systems and methods for deploying third-party applications on a cluster of network switches

Embodiments presented herein enable non-volatile memory express (NVMe®) subsystem-driven command execution requests. By configuring subsystems as pull model devices, subsystems can request a centralized discovery controller to perform one or more operations. Embodiments may leverage a command execution request architecture to achieve the subsystem-driven pull model functionality.

Systems and methods for command execution request for pull model devices

Border gateway protocol (BGP) configuration systems and methods automatically establish a BGP peering relationship between a BGP peer device and a centralized discovery controller (CDC) that allow the CDC to advertise routes to the BGP peer device. Various embodiments accomplish this by exchanging BGP information between the CDC, the BGP peer device, and a BGP auto-configuration service, which configures BGP parameters that establish the BGP peering relationship.

Zerotouch border gateway protocol (BGP) configuration in non-volatile memory express over-fabrics (NVMe-oF) environments

Systems and methods use zoning configuration to construct border gateway protocol (BGP) route maps. The constructed route maps may then be used to selectively advertise routes between BGP peer devices without having to advertise all available routes to all entities or subsystems in a network. Advantageously, this significantly reduces potential security risks to the network and improves scalability of services in non-volatile memory express over Fabric and other systems.

Zoning configurations and border gateway protocol (BGP) route maps for route advertisements

Systems and methods utilize discovery log entry identifiers (DLEIDs) to identify individual discovery log page entries (DLPEs) in a discovery log page, for example, to allow a name server to manipulate DLPEs and perform specific operations, including zoning operations. Thus, DLEIDs advantageously reduce data flow and repetitive full discovery log page requests and responses and associated processing times; especially, in scenarios where changes to data are minimal. Further, a DLEID-based get log page command may be used to perform push and pull registrations, e.g., to query a specific set of end devices. Advantageously, this reduces message size or sizes and, thus, the number of messages that need to be exchanged, e.g., during an addition or deletion of end devices, especially in larger environments.

Discovery log entry identifiers (DLEIDs) applications in non-volatile memory express® environments

Systems and methods utilize discovery log entry identifiers (DLEIDs) to identify individual discovery log page entries (DLPEs) in a discovery log page, for example, to allow a name server to manipulate DLPEs and perform specific operations, including zoning operations. Thus, DLEIDs advantageously reduce data flow and repetitive full discovery log page requests and responses and associated processing times; especially, in scenarios where changes to data are minimal Further, a DLEID-based get log page command may be used to perform push and pull registrations, e.g., to query a specific set of end devices. Advantageously, this reduces messages size and, thus, the number of messages that need to be exchanged, e.g., during an addition or deletion of end devices, especially in larger environments.

Discovery log entry identifiers (DLEIDs) for devices in non-volatile memory express™-over fabrics (NVMe-oF™) environments

An automated networking device replacement system includes a chassis housing in which management module and a fabric services subsystem are provided. The fabric services subsystem identifies that a first networking device has been provided in the chassis, and determines that the first networking device is a replacement for a second networking device. In response, the fabric services subsystem automatically identifies at least one fabric-services-based configuration that was performed on the second networking device, and automatically performs the at least one fabric-services-based configuration on the first networking device. The fabric services subsystem then transmits a management-module-based configuration instruction to the management module that causes the management module to automatically perform at least one management-module-based configuration on the first networking device that was performed on the second networking device.

Automated networking device replacement system

An expander I/O module discovery/management system includes a secondary system chassis housing an expander I/O module coupled to a server device. The server device identifies the secondary system chassis and an expander I/O module port utilized by that server device, and then generates and transmits an expander I/O module reporting communication identifying the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port. A primary system chassis houses a switching I/O module coupled to the expander I/O module. The switching I/O module receives the expander I/O module reporting communication and determines that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis. In response, the switching I/O module assigns a virtual slot to the expander I/O module, and assigns a virtual port associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication.

Expander I/O module discovery and management system

A multi-fabric VLAN configuration system includes a first fabric with server devices that are configured to communicate using VLANs, a primary I/O module coupled to the server devices, and a first fabric management system coupled to the server devices and the primary I/O module. The first fabric management system identifies VLAN information associated with the VLANs, automatically configures the primary I/O module using the VLAN information, and causes the VLAN information to be transmitted by the primary I/O module. A second fabric in the multi-fabric VLAN configuration system includes a leaf switch device that is coupled to the primary I/O module and that receives the VLAN information, and a second fabric management system that is coupled to the leaf switch device and that receives the VLAN information from the leaf switch device, and automatically configures the leaf switch device using the VLAN information.

Multi-fabric VLAN configuration system

An automated Link Aggregation Group (LAG) configuration system includes a plurality of slave switch devices that are each coupled to an endhost device by at least one respective link. Each of the plurality of slave switch devices receives a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) communication from the endhost device, and forwards endhost device information in that LAG communication to a master switch device. The master switch device receives endhost device information from each of the plurality of slave switch devices and determines that each of the plurality of slave switch devices are coupled to the endhost device. In response, the master switch device sends a LAG instruction to each of the plurality of slave switch devices that causes the at least one respective link that couples each of the plurality of slave switch devices to the endhost device to be configured in a LAG.

Automated link aggregation group configuration system

A port configuration migration system includes a primary I/O module connected to a server device via a secondary I/O module. A fabric manager system maps a virtual interface to a first downlink port on the primary I/O module that is connected to the secondary I/O module, with the virtual interface providing a virtual direct connection to the server device. The fabric manager system then configures the virtual interface with communication configuration information for the server device such that communications received via the first downlink port are transmitted using the virtual interface. The fabric manager system then receives a discovery communication from the server device via a second downlink port on the primary I/O module that is connected to the secondary I/O module, and remaps the virtual interface to the second downlink port such that communications received via the second downlink port are transmitted using the virtual interface.

Port configuration migration system

Multicast Domain Name System (mDNS)-based pull registration systems and methods facilitate discovery in communication networks, such as Storage Area Networks (SANs) that operate in non-volatile memory express over Fabric (NVMe-oF) environments. In various embodiments, this is accomplished by allowing a network entity (e.g., a Centralized Discovery Controller (CDC)) to use a pull registration to exchange discovery information with a storage subsystem (e.g., a storage array), advantageously, without requiring storage subsystem to possess complex functionalities present in existing designs.

Kickstart discovery controller connection command

To address concerns with administration of zones in storage area network (SAN) environments, presented are embodiments of a 'zone group,' including systems and methods for configuring, implementing, and managing such. While zone group embodiments may comprise one or more zones, unlike traditional zone sets, a zone group includes additional features. For example, a zone group includes an 'Owner' and also allows for multiple zone groups to be active on a fabric at one time. By adding the concept of an owner to a zone group, changes made by a user or entity impact the zone group to which the owner has rights to access or modify. Also, by allowing multiple zone groups to be active at the same time, embodiments enable multiple administrators or entities to make unrelated modifications to connectivity and dramatically reduce the impact of unintentional changes. Additional features and benefits are described herein.

Dynamic connectivity management through zone groups

An automated multi-fabric link aggregation system includes leaf switch devices that have leaf switch device downlink ports, that are included in a first network fabric, and that are aggregated to provide a first aggregation fabric. Each leaf switch device generates discovery communications including a first network fabric identifier for the first network fabric, and a first aggregation fabric identifier for the first aggregation fabric. The leaf switch devices then transmit the discovery communications via the leaf switch device downlink ports. I/O modules that have I/O module uplink port are included in a second network fabric and are aggregated to provide a second aggregation fabric. The I/O modules receive the discovery communications via each of the I/O module uplink ports, determine that each received discovery communication includes the first network fabric identifier and the first aggregation fabric identifier and, in response, automatically configure the I/O module uplink ports in a LAG.

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Pawan Kumar Singal