Reconfigurable, virtual processing system, cluster, network and method

• US 20030130833A1
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Egenera Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Egenera Incorporated
• Inventors: Curtis, Paul, Geng, Scott, Duffy, Edward, Busby, Dan, Brownell, Vern, Sprachman, Ben, Manca, Pete, Greenspan, Alan, Schulter, Peter, Milne, Ewan, Smith, Max
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/352 Gigabit ethernet switching [GBPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/354 for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/356 for storage area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/557 Error correction, e.g. fault recovery or fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A platform and method of deploying virtual processing areas networks are described. A plurality of computer processors are connected to an internal communication network. At least one control node is in communication with an external communication network and an external storage network has an external storage address space. The at least one control node is connected to the internal network and thereby is in communication with the plurality of computer processors. Configuration logic defines and establishes a virtual processing area network having a corresponding set of computer processors from the plurality of processors, a virtual local area communication network providing communication among the set of computer processors, and a virtual storage space with a defined correspondence to the address space of the storage network.

Claims

1. A platform for computer processing, comprising:

a plurality of computer processors connected to an internal communication network;

at least one control node in communication with an external communication network and an external storage network having an external storage address space, and wherein the at least one control node is connected to the internal network and thereby in communication with the plurality of computer processors;

configuration logic to define and establish a virtual processing area network having a corresponding set of computer processors from the plurality of processors, a virtual local area communication network providing communication among the set of computer processors but excluding the processors from the plurality not in the defined set, and a virtual storage space with a defined correspondence to the address space of the storage network.

2. The platform of claim 1 wherein the control node receives, via the internal communication network, communication messages addressed to entities on the external communication network, and wherein the control node includes logic to provide messages on the external communication network corresponding to the received messages.

3. The platform of claim 1 wherein the control node receives, via the external communication network, communication messages addressed to entities on the platform, and wherein the control node includes logic to provide messages to the addressed entities corresponding to the received messages.

4. The platform of claim 1 wherein the computer processors and the control node include network emulation logic to emulate Ethernet functionality over the internal communication network.

5. The platform of claim 4 wherein the internal communication network is a point to point switch fabric.

6. The platform of claim 1 wherein the internal communication network comprises a redundant interconnect connecting the computer processors and the at least one control node to redundant switch fabrics.

7. The platform of claim 6 having at least one other control node connected to the interconnect and to form redundant control nodes.

8. The platform of claim 1 wherein the control node receives, via the internal communication network, storage messages from the computer processors, and wherein the control node includes logic to extract an address from a received storage message, to identify the defined corresponding address in the external storage address space, and to provide messages on the external storage network corresponding to the received storage messages and having the corresponding address.

9. The platform of claim 8 wherein the control node includes logic to buffer data corresponding to write messages received from a computer processor and to provide the buffered data in the corresponding message provided to the external storage network.

10. The platform of claim 8 wherein the control node receives storage messages from the external storage network, and wherein the control node includes logic to identify a corresponding computer processor or control node that the received message is responsive to, and to provide a corresponding message to the identified processor or control node.

11. A method of deploying a virtual processing area network, comprising the acts of:

providing a platform having a plurality of computer processors and at least one control node connected to an internal communication network, and wherein the control node is in communication with an external communication network and an external storage network having an external storage address space,

defining a corresponding set of computer processors for the virtual processing network,

establishing a virtual local area communication network providing communication among the set of computer processors but excluding the processors from the plurality not in the defined set,

defining a correspondence between a virtual storage space of the virtual processing network with a defined to the address space of the storage network.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the control node receives, via the internal communication network, communication messages addressed to entities on the external communication network, and wherein the control node provides messages on the external communication network corresponding to the received messages.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the control node receives, via the external communication network, communication messages addressed to entities on the platform, and wherein the control node provides messages to the addressed entities corresponding to the received messages.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the computer processors and the control node emulate Ethernet functionality over the internal communication network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the internal communication network is a is a point to point switch fabric and wherein the emulation of Ethernet functionality is provided over the internal point to point switch fabric.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the computer processors communicate over a redundant interconnect connecting the computer processors and the at least one control node.

17. The method of claim 16 having at least one other control node connected to the interconnect and to form redundant control nodes.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the control node receives, via the internal communication network, storage messages from the computer processors, and wherein the control node extracts an address from a received storage message, identifies the defined corresponding address in the external storage address space, and provide messages on the external storage network corresponding to the received storage messages and having the corresponding address.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the control node buffers data corresponding to write messages received from a computer processor and provides the buffered data in the corresponding message provided to the external storage network.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the control node receives storage messages from the external storage network, and wherein the control node identifies a corresponding computer processor or control node that the received message is responsive to, and provides a corresponding message to the identified processor or control node.