Abstract:
A first network device determines capabilities of resources in a section of a network that is accessible using the first network device. The first network device groups the resources into a resource cluster. The first network device advertises the resource cluster in the network, wherein each of a plurality of network devices advertise a resource cluster associated with sections of the network. A second network device receives a request for providing a service. The second network device groups the request into a plurality of request clusters. The second network device selects at least one resource cluster for providing the service based on information associated with the request clusters and the advertised resource clusters. The second network device allocates resources included in the at least one resource cluster for providing the service based on selecting the at least one resource cluster.
Abstract:
Graph-based virtual data center requests are described. In some implementations, a method includes displaying a graph having graphical elements representing network resources. A user can select one of the graphical elements and provide input specifying requirements for a network resource corresponding to the selected graphical element. A virtual data center request can be generated based on the graph and the specified requirements. The virtual data center request can be transmitted to a data center device for processing. In some implementations, the virtual data center request can be an extensible markup language (XML) representation of the graph that includes the specified service requirements. In some implementations, a data center server can receive a graph-based virtual data center request and allocate data center resources based on the virtual data center request.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a request for a distributed service, the distributed service offered by a service provider via a data communications network having service delivery locations reachable via a prescribed physical topology; identifying the service delivery locations within a prescribed logical topology overlying the prescribed physical topology, the prescribed logical topology segregating the distributed service from other network traffic on the prescribed physical topology; and identifying one or moreof the service delivery locations optimized for providing the distributed service to at least one service consumption location in the prescribed logical topology according to a prescribed service level agreement with the service provider.
Abstract:
Techniques are provided for monitoring the state or status of virtual data centers. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving state information representing the state of hardware devices supporting instantiations of virtual data centers operating within a physical data center. The state information is mapped to hardware devices supporting a selected instantiation of a virtual data center to identify state information for the selected instantiation of a virtual data center. An assessment is then made, based on the state information for the selected instantiation of a virtual data center, regarding a degree to which the selected instantiation of a virtual data center is operating in accordance with predetermined policy. A user is then notified of the assessment via, e.g., a color-coded dashboard representation of the selected instantiation of a virtual data center or a color-coded aspect of the selected instantiation of a virtual data center.
Abstract:
Techniques are provided herein for distributed and hierarchical rendering and provisioning of cloud services. At a device in a cloud computing system comprising a plurality of hierarchical levels, a cloud service request is received for rendering and provisioning of a virtual data center. A determination is made as to which aspects of the cloud service request are to be satisfied by devices in a first hierarchical level and which aspects of the cloud service request are to be satisfied by devices in a second hierarchical level and in subsequent hierarchical levels. Rendering and provisioning commands are provided to one or more devices in the first hierarchical level that are selected to satisfy aspects of the cloud service request in the first hierarchical level. A subset cloud service request for aspects of the cloud service request that are to be satisfied by devices in the second hierarchical level is sent to a device in the second hierarchical level.
Abstract:
Techniques are provided for receiving at a proxy device in a network, a login request from a source device, e.g., a Fiber Channel server in a server virtualization cluster, to access a destination device, a Fiber Channel storage array. The source device does not or need not have direct access to the destination device. A response to the login request is sent that is configured to appear to the source device that the response is from the destination device. The proxy device logs into the destination device on behalf of the source device to obtain access to the destination device. The proxy device receives first network traffic frames associated with a service flow between the source device and the destination device from the source device that are destined for the destination device. Information is overwritten within the first network traffic frames such that the first network traffic frames appear to originate from the proxy device when transmitted to the destination device. The first network traffic frames are transmitted from the proxy device to the destination device. Techniques are also provided herein for performing similar operations on frames sent from the destination device to the proxy device.
Abstract:
Techniques are provided for mitigating the effects of slow or no drain devices on a fabric. One or more of the described embodiments can be used alone or in combination to address problems associated with inter-switch link blocking and to address the situation where flows which are not associated with slow/no drain devices suffer the negative impacts of slow or no drain devices on a fabric.
Abstract:
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for facilitating communication between two devices from two different VSANs by propagating each device's presence from a first VSAN to the other device's different VSAN using a network address translation (NAT) mechanism. For instance, a first device, such as a host H1, from VSAN_A is allowed to access data from a second device, such as disk D1, of VSAN_B by propagating D1's presence into VSAN_A and H1's presence into VSAN_B. This awareness is accomplished by propagating an identifier for each device into the edge VSAN of the other device, as well as into any transit VSAN. So as to not duplicate identifiers in any one of the VSANs, a device's presence is propagated into a particular VSAN by assigning an unused domain for use by such device in the particular VSAN.
Abstract:
A Fibre Channel Switch which enables end devices in different Fabrics to communicate with one another while retaining their unique Fibre Channel Domain_IDs. The Switch is coupled to a first fabric having a first set of end devices and a second fabric having a second set of end devices. The Switch is configured to enable communication by the first set of end devices associated with the first fabric with the second set of end devices associated with the second set of end devices using the unique Domain_IDs of each of the first set and the second set of end devices. In one embodiment of the invention, the first and second fabrics are first and second Virtual Storage Array Networks (VSANs) respectively. In an alternative embodiment, the first fabric and the second fabric are separate physical fabrics.
Abstract:
The Switch includes a port configured to receive a command frame when installed in a switching Fabric. The frame identifies a source device and a destination device in the Switching Fabric, a command, and a read/write flag which indicates if the identified source intends to exercise read-only or write access to the destination device. The Switch also includes a processor coupled to the port. The processor is configured to trap the frame and prevent it from reaching the defined destination device in the switching Fabric if both the source and destination devices are in a read-only zone and the flag indicates that the source intends to write to the destination device. In this manner, read-only zones can be implemented in the Switching Fabric.