Methods and apparatus for improving network based virtualization performance
First Claim
1. In a Fibre Channel network, a method of processing traffic in an arbitrated loop, comprising:
- identifying a status of a fairness indicator associated with the arbitrated loop, wherein the fairness indicator is associated with an interface of a switch that is coupled to the arbitrated loop, the fairness indicator indicating that fairness is enabled when the fairness indicator is in a first state and indicating that fairness is disabled when the fairness indicator is in a second state;
enabling a requesting entity on the arbitrated loop to send an arbitration request when the fairness indicator is in the first state, the arbitration request forcing a transmitting entity that is transmitting frames on the arbitrated loop to relinquish control of the arbitrated loop; and
preventing an entity on the arbitrated loop from sending an arbitration request when the fairness indicator is in the second state.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention support improvements in network performance in networks such as storage area networks. This is particularly important in networks such as those implementing virtualization. These improvements, therefore, support improved mechanisms for performing processing in network devices such as switches, routers, or hosts. These improvements include various different mechanisms which may be used separately or in combination with one another. These mechanisms include methods and apparatus for processing traffic in an arbitrated loop, performing striping to support fairness and/or loop tenancy, performing configuration of network devices such as switches to enable virtualization to be performed closest to the storage device (e.g., disk), ascertaining a CPU efficiency that quantifies the impact of virtualization on a processor, and configuring or accessing a striped volume to account for metadata stored in each storage partition.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. In a Fibre Channel network, a method of processing traffic in an arbitrated loop, comprising:
-
identifying a status of a fairness indicator associated with the arbitrated loop, wherein the fairness indicator is associated with an interface of a switch that is coupled to the arbitrated loop, the fairness indicator indicating that fairness is enabled when the fairness indicator is in a first state and indicating that fairness is disabled when the fairness indicator is in a second state; enabling a requesting entity on the arbitrated loop to send an arbitration request when the fairness indicator is in the first state, the arbitration request forcing a transmitting entity that is transmitting frames on the arbitrated loop to relinquish control of the arbitrated loop; and preventing an entity on the arbitrated loop from sending an arbitration request when the fairness indicator is in the second state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method of processing traffic in an arbitrated loop of a Fibre Channel network, comprising:
-
ascertaining whether a switch implementing network-based virtualization is coupled to the arbitrated loop; when a switch implementing network-based virtualization is coupled to the arbitrated loop, setting a fairness indicator associated with the arbitrated loop, the fairness indicator indicating that fairness is enabled when the fairness indicator is in a first state and indicating that fairness is disabled when the fairness indicator is in a second state, wherein the fairness indicator is associated with an interface of the switch that is coupled to the arbitrated loop; and when a switch implementing network-based virtualization is not coupled to the arbitrated loop, configuring a loop tenancy associated with the arbitrated loop. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A switch configured to process traffic in an arbitrated loop of a Fibre Channel network, the switch having a plurality of interfaces, comprising:
-
a processor; a memory; and a data structure or register, the data structure or register including a fairness indicator associated with each of the plurality of interfaces of the switch, the fairness indicator indicating that fairness is enabled for the corresponding interface when the fairness indicator is in a first state and indicating that fairness is disabled for the corresponding interface when the fairness indicator is in a second state; wherein a requesting entity on an arbitrated loop coupled to one of the plurality of interfaces may send an arbitration request when the fairness indicator for the one of the plurality of interfaces coupled to the arbitrated loop is in the first state, the arbitration request forcing a transmitting entity that is transmitting frames on the arbitrated loop to relinquish control of the arbitrated loop. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A computer-readable medium storing thereon computer-readable instructions for processing traffic in an arbitrated loop of a Fibre Channel network, comprising:
-
instructions for ascertaining whether a switch implementing network-based virtualization is coupled to the arbitrated loop, the switch having a plurality of interfaces; instructions for setting a fairness indicator associated with the arbitrated loop when a switch implementing network-based virtualization is coupled to the arbitrated loop, the fairness indicator indicating that fairness is enabled when the fairness indicator is in a first state and indicating that fairness is disabled when the fairness indicator is in a second state, wherein the fairness indicator is associated with an interface of the switch that is coupled to the arbitrated loop; and instructions for configuring a loop tenancy associated with the arbitrated loop when a switch implementing network-based virtualization is not coupled to the arbitrated loop. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. An apparatus for processing traffic in an arbitrated loop of a Fibre Channel network, comprising:
-
means for ascertaining whether a switch implementing network-based virtualization is coupled to the arbitrated loop, the switch having a plurality of interfaces; means for setting a fairness indicator associated with the arbitrated loop when a switch implementing network-based virtualization is coupled to the arbitrated loop, the fairness indicator indicating that fairness is enabled when the fairness indicator is in a first state and indicating that fairness is disabled when the fairness indicator is in a second state, wherein the fairness indicator is associated with an interface of the switch that is coupled to the arbitrated loop; and means for configuring a loop tenancy associated with the arbitrated loop when a switch implementing network-based virtualization is not coupled to the arbitrated loop.
-
Specification