Cisco Technology, Inc.

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Thomas Anthony Roden

John Knight

Sonny Bui

Kavita Shekhar Patil

Darrell Myers Shively, Ii

Pauline Chen

David Cates

Pauline Chen Boyd

David N Still

Mingqi Deng

Larry Bruce Nadeau

Darrell Shively

Terry Kerstetter

Robert Morelli Fallone

Dan Nguyen

Joseph F Mann

Brian Lo Bue

Tina Truong

The present invention relates to optimizing the performance of a data storage device, such as a hard data storage device, during boot operations and normal operations. In particular, during power up, the data storage device monitors the nature and progress of commands issued from a host. During boot operations, the data storage device sets its cache to a boot mode. The boot mode is designed to speed the boot process and aggressively cache data used during boot up of the data storage device and the host. The data storage device detects the transition of the host operations from boot operations to normal operations based on various criteria. The caching mode of the data storage device is then changed for normal operations based on the transition.

Cache optimization of a data storage device based on progress of boot commands

A Max Sessions Server (MSS) automatically detects hardware and communications failures. Upon detection, counters are adjusted accordingly to maintain an accurate count of users or groups of users on a system. A database of unique identifiers for each connection is maintained, where the unique identifier is a concatenation of a Network Access Server (NAS) and the connection's incoming NAS node number. If a user requests permission to log into the system, the MSS first checks the database to determine if the unique identifier is already logged in. If so, then a hardware or communications failure has occurred and the MSS must make the appropriate adjustments to the database and counter.

Automatic hardware failure detection and recovery for distributed max sessions server

A universal serial bus (USB) remote host control driver includes a connection to a local network, a network protocol stack and a memory for storing network addresses of USB device adapters and USB devices on the network. A USB device adapter has one or more USB ports, a network connection, a network address, and a network protocol stack. Together, the USB remote host control driver and the USB device adapter enable interaction between a network computer and peripheral USB devices on the network.

USB encapsulation for network transmission

A Max Sessions Server (MSS) automatically detects hardware and communications failures. Upon detection, counters are adjusted accordingly to maintain an accurate count of users or groups of users on a system. A database of unique identifiers for each connection is maintained, where the unique identifier is a concatenation of a Network Access Server (NAS) and the connection's incoming NAS node number. If a user requests permission to log into the system, the MSS first checks the database to determine if the unique identifier is already logged in. If so, then a hardware or communications failure has occurred and the MSS must make the appropriate adjustments to the database and counter. Additionally, the MSS or an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) server will periodically check to determine if an NAS has ceased communicating over a particular length of time and relay any failures to the MSS. If the NAS has experienced a hardware or communications failure, then the MSS must make the appropriate adjustments to the database and counters for all sessions logged in from the failed NAS. Finally, the MSS may broadcast the failure to all MSSs associated with the NAS on the system.

A mechanism for authorizing a data communication session between a client and a first server is disclosed. When a request is received to establish a session with a particular entity that is associated with the client, it is determined whether authorization of the session can be performed locally at a second server. If it is determined that authorization of the session can be performed locally at the second server then, the first server is informed that the session may be established between the client and the first server for the particular entity. A third server that is associated with the particular entity is identified and once the first server is informed that the session may be established, the third server is informed that the session has been authorized to be established for the particular entity. However, if authorization of the session cannot be performed locally at the second server then, the third server is requested to authorize the session between the client and the first server. Thereafter, based on the response that is received from the third server, the first server is informed as to whether the session may be authorized.

Method and apparatus providing distributed authorization management of communication sessions

A method of securely communicating a network address of a client that issues service requests to a first server that proxies the service requests for a second server. A network address of the client is received. A processor determines whether a first network address of the first server is equal to a second network address of the second server. The network address of the client is sent from the first server to the second server in a secure request message only when the first network address of the first server is equal to the second network address of the second server. Accordingly, a secure communications protocol is provided in which an address of a requesting client, e.g., an IP address, is passed in the protocol only among a responding server and its proxy, thereby preventing interception of the client IP address by unauthorized processes. By enforcing a policy that permits the network address of an originating host to pass from a first server to a second server only when the network address of the second server meets specified criteria (e.g., it is the same network address as that of the first server), the originating host address can be passed securely through a proxy server.

Selectively passing network addresses through a server

A method is disclosed for managing a network having a plurality of network elements, where the network elements are configured to be interconnected to one another. A data structure is maintained that includes information about a link state for each network element in the plurality of network elements. The link state for each network element describes a connection between that network element and at least one other network element designated to be connected to that network element. A management policy is configured for the plurality of network elements by using link state information in the data structure to detect if any of the plurality of network elements are unreachable.

Method and apparatus for managing a network using link state information

A method and apparatus for using a session identifier to identify a specific data communications session between an apparatus and an external apparatus is disclosed. When a data communications session is initiated between the apparatus and an external apparatus, the external apparatus sends authenticating information to the apparatus. The apparatus uses the authenticating information to determine the identity and the privileges of the external apparatus for the particular session. A unique session identifier is created by the apparatus, and the session identifier is associated with the external apparatus's identity and privileges. The session identifier is passed between the apparatus and the external apparatus with each subsequent data communication in the session until the session is terminated. The apparatus uses the session identifier received with the data communications to identify the external apparatus and its privileges and allocate resources accordingly. The session identifier is encoded using a six bit code, thereby making it compatible with the Internet e-mail protocol and while also optimizing data compression. The encoded session identifier may be transmitted by appending it to a URL like a query string.

Method and apparatus for identifying a data communications session

An authorizing apparatus for use with a client that connects to a first server in a network includes a second server that authorizes session requests of the client for the first server. Resource allocation data is available to the second server and indicates whether a session may be established between the client and the first server. The second server has information that associates an entity that is associated with one or more clients, and information that associates the second server to a third server that is authoritative for the second server and the associated clients. When a request to establish a session between the client and the first server is received, the second server determines, based on one of the records that is associated with the client, whether the session may be established when the client is associated with the entity. If not, the second server requests a global authorization server to determine whether a session is allowable. As a result, session management is resolved locally when possible, and over-subscription of clients to servers is prevented.

Distributed database system with authoritative node

An authorizing apparatus for use with a client that connects to a first server in a network is described. The authorizing apparatus includes a second server that authorizes session requests of the client for the first server. A plurality of records of resource allocation data is coupled with the second server. Each record indicates whether a session may be established between the client and the first server. Coupled to the second server is information that associates an entity that includes and is associated with one or more clients, and information that associates the second server to a third server that is authoritative for the second server and the associated clients. Means are provided for receiving a request to establish a session between the client and the first server and for determining, at the second server, based on one of the records that is associated with the client, whether the session may be established when the client is associated with the entity. Also provided are means for informing the first server that the session is authorized only when the second server determines from the one of the records that the session may be established. Although the first, second and third servers have been described as separate servers the functions performed by two or more of the servers may actually be combined in a single server unit.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Thomas Anthony Roden