摘要:
A distributed virtual appliance is disclosed, including: allocating network traffic to a plurality of compute units implementing a network service associated with the distributed virtual appliance; and dynamically adding or removing one or more compute units implementing the network service without disruption to the network traffic.
摘要:
Methods and apparatus are provided for improving both node-based and message-based security in a fibre channel network. Entity to entity authentication and key exchange services can be included in existing initialization messages used for introducing fibre channel network entities into a fibre channel fabric, or with specific messages exchanged over an already initialized communication channel. Both per-message authentication and encryption mechanisms can be activated using the authentication and key exchange services. Messages passed between fibre channel network entities can be encrypted and authenticated using information provided during the authentication sequence. Security services such as per-message authentication, confidentiality, integrity protection, and anti-replay protection can be implemented.
摘要:
A method of managing a computer network switch is disclosed. The method has the steps of: setting a port of the switch to root guard protected status (RG status); selecting by a spanning tree protocol (STP) the port as a designated port; and setting said port into blocked status, in response to said port being both in root guard protected status and selected by STP as a root port. By setting a port to root guard protected, the port is prevented from becoming a designated port, and so then forcing the root port to remain in a desired core network.
摘要:
An apparatus and method for preventing the disruption of Fibre Channel Fabrics caused by ReConfigure Fabric (RCF) messages is disclosed. The apparatus includes a storage area network and a plurality of Fibre Channel Switches arranged in a Fabric. Each of the plurality of Switches includes logic to selectively configure their Ports to either reject or accept RCF messages. When configured to reject RCF messages, the Switch Port that receives an RCF message will generate a reject message along with a reason code explanation “E_Port Isolated”, and then transition into an Isolated state. When the Switch that generated the RCF message receives the reject message, its Port also transition into the Isolated state. In accordance with the method of the present invention, either a Storage Service Provider or a client can access the Switches of the Fabric through either a command line interpreter or a management application. Once access to the Fabric is established, the logic of the Ports of the Switches can be selectively configured to reject or accept RCF messages as described above.
摘要:
Ports of a switch are assigned by a person, for example a network manager, to be for communication up the spanning tree toward the root switch (“up ports”), or down the spanning tree away from the root switch (“down ports”). This assignment is made by enabling “Uplinkguard” status for a desired up port, and by connecting the desired port to a switch which it is desired to place in the higher layer of the spanning tree. A port having Uplinkguard enabled is prevented, for example by software or firmware in its switch, from transitioning to a designated role. Uplinkguard-enabling a port, by preventing the port from transitioning to the designated role, has at least two consequences: preventing the port from being selected by the STP to transmit to lower switches in the spanning tree; and, preventing the port from transmitting when a one way connectivity fault develops on that port. A port with Uplinkguard enabled may transition to root port role. In the event that there is one way connectivity from a port, that port will not receive BPDU messages, and if the port is in blocked state, it will believe that it should take over and become the designated port for the external link to which it is connected. Uplinkguard prevents the port from transitioning to designated role. When the port attempts to transition into designated role, Uplinkguard forces the port to transition into blocked role, thereby eliminating formation of loops caused by one way connectivity faults.
摘要:
The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) chooses a root switch. Each of the other switches has a “root” port and one or more “designated ports(s)” chosen by STP. Packets are transmitted upstream toward the root switch through the root port, and packets designated for downstream switches from the root switch are received by the root port and transmitted through the designated ports. In the invention, an administrator of the core network identifies which switch ports in the core network are boundary ports to customer networks. The administrator designates the boundary ports as “root guard protected” ports (RG ports). The STP then executes as required by the ordinary STP protocol, and if a RG port is selected by the STP to be a root portm then the status of the port is set to “blocked,” and no packets are transmitted through the port.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for continuing the operation of a spanning tree protocol at a network device despite crashes or failures at that device. A supervisor card contained in the network device is designated an active supervisor, while all other supervisor cards are designated standby supervisors. The active supervisor runs the spanning tree protocol, and informs the standby supervisors of the states of ports, but not of the identity of the root or designated bridges. When a crash or failure occurs at the active supervisor, one of the standby supervisors is immediately designated to be the new active supervisor. The newly active supervisor reviews the port state, and queries the line cards to determine whether that port state information is still valid. The newly active supervisor adopts the valid port state information, leaving those ports in their current spanning tree port state.
摘要:
A distributed virtual appliance is disclosed, including: allocating network traffic to a plurality of compute units implementing a network service associated with the distributed virtual appliance; and dynamically adding or removing one or more compute units implementing the network service without disruption to the network traffic.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for continuing the operation of a spanning tree protocol at a network device despite crashes or failures at that device is disclosed. The network device includes a plurality of line cards having ports for receiving and forwarding messages and a plurality of supervisor cards for processing at least some of those messages. Upon start-up, one of the supervisor cards is designated the active supervisor, while all other supervisor cards are designated standby supervisors. The active supervisor runs the spanning tree protocol (STP). The active supervisor informs the standby supervisors of the states of ports set by the STP. When a crash or failure occurs at the active supervisor, one of the standby supervisors is immediately designated to be the new active supervisor, and the new active supervisor uses the states of ports set by the original STP.
摘要:
Methods and devices are provided for role-based access control of network devices. The network devices may constitute the fabric of a storage area network (“SAN”) that has been logically partitioned into virtual storage area networks (“VSANs”) that are allocated to various administrators. Roles assigned according to preferred aspects of the invention do not need to be hierarchical, but are customized according to administrators' needs.