Netapp, Inc.

Qlogic Corporation

Troika Networks, Inc.

Wayland Jeong

William Clinton Terrell

Gordon L Larimer

Vladimir Popovski

Tracy Edmonds

Mukul Kotwani

Arvind Krishnan

William Weiyeh Chow

Methods and systems for load balancing read/write requests of a virtualized storage system. In one embodiment, a storage system includes a plurality of physical storage devices and a storage module operable within a communication network to present the plurality of physical storage devices as a virtual storage device to a plurality of network computing elements that are coupled to the communication network. The virtual storage device comprises a plurality of virtual storage volumes, wherein each virtual storage volume is communicatively coupled to the physical storage devices via the storage module. The storage module comprises maps that are used to route read/write requests from the network computing elements to the virtual storage volumes. Each map links read/write requests from at least one network computing element to a respective virtual storage volume within the virtual storage device.

Virtualized data storage in a network computing environment

A network node for processing messages transmitted via a network, the node including: a first circuit providing a processor-based node path; a second circuit, coupled to the first circuit, providing a switch-based node path; and a memory storing mapping information accessible by the first and second circuits, wherein the processing of messages received by the network node is allocated between the first and second circuit based on the mapping information.

System and method of providing network node services

A network interface for secure virtual interface data communication includes a doorbell circuit, a processor, memory, and a bridge circuit. The doorbell circuit responds to physical I/O addresses of the host that are mapped by a memory management unit by a registration process. An application program seeking to use a channel of a virtual interface must register the virtual address of host memory where data for communication is or will be stored and register the virtual address of a page of I/O addresses. Access to the doorbell functions and to the host memory via the memory management unit are therefore denied when the requesting process identifier does not successfully compare with the process identifier for the process that performed the registrations. A password may be stored in the network interface in association with a virtual interface (VI) channel identifier and stored in association with the virtual to physical map used for VI communication. The network interface may abandon a requested or implied data communication when passwords so not successfully compare. Methods for virtual interface (VI) communication performed by an application program may include one or more of the steps of (a) establishing a VI channel where physical I/O addresses of a network controller are secured; (b) registering host memory for use with a VI channel where physical memory addresses are secured; (c) describing blocks of host memory with reference to a memory handle; and (d) accomplishing data communication of a described block of host memory via an established VI channel where the data and controls of the VI channel are secured and the data and controls of other VI channels are secured. Security is provided against both erroneous operations and operations intentionally effected by rouge processes.

Secure virtual interface

A network interface for secure multiprotocol data communication includes a doorbell circuit, a processor, memory, and a bridge circuit. The doorbell circuit responds to physical I/O addresses of the host that are mapped by a memory management unit by a registration process. An application program seeking to use a multiprotocol channel must register the virtual address of host memory where data for communication is or will be stored and register the virtual address of a page of I/O addresses. Access to the doorbell functions and to the host memory via the memory management unit are therefore denied when the requesting process identifier does not successfully compare with the process identifier for the process that performed the registrations. A password may be stored in the network interface in association with a multiprotocol channel identifier and stored in association with the virtual to physical map used for communication. The network interface may abandon a requested or implied data communication function when passwords do not successfully compare. Methods for multiprotocol communication performed by an application program may include one or more of the steps of (a) establishing a multiprotocol channel where physical I/O addresses of a network controller are secured; (b) registering host memory for use with a multiprotocol channel where physical memory addresses are secured; (c) describing blocks of host memory with reference to a memory handle; and (d) accomplishing data communication of a described block of host memory via an established channel where the data and controls of the channel are secured and the data and controls of other channels are secured. Security is provided against both erroneous operations and operations intentionally effected by rouge processes.

Secure multiprotocol interface

A network interface for secure virtual interface data communication includes a doorbell circuit, a processor, memory, and a bridge circuit. The doorbell circuit responds to physical I/O addresses of the host that are mapped by a memory management unit by a registration process. An application program seeking to use a channel of a virtual interface must register the virtual address of host memory where data for communication is or will be stored and register the virtual address of a page of I/O addresses. Access to the doorbell functions and to the host memory via the memory management unit are therefore denied when the requesting process identifier does not successfully compare with the process identifier for the process that performed the registrations. A password may be stored in the network interface in association with a virtual interface (VI) channel identifier and stored in association with the virtual to physical map used for VI communication. The network interface may abandon a requested or implied data communication function when passwords so not successfully compare. Methods for virtual interface (VI) communication performed by an application program may include one or more of the steps of (a) establishing a VI channel where physical I/O addresses of a network controller are secured; (b) registering host memory for use with a VI channel where physical memory addresses are secured; (c) describing blocks of host memory with reference to a memory handle; and (d) accomplishing data communication of a described block of host memory via an established VI channel where the data and controls of the VI channel are secured and the data and controls of other VI channels are secured. Security is provided against both erroneous operations and operations intentionally effected by rouge processes.

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Agoura Hills, CA, United States of America

Wayland Jeong