Methods of conveying information using fixed sized packets

• US 7,688,814 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServStor Technologies, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ludwig, Thomas, Babbitt, William, Hanan, Thomas, Frank, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): CHO, HONG SOL
• Application Number:
  US11/242,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20060029068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 370/380, 370/390, 370/392, 370/394, 370/395.1, 370/465, 370/466, 709/211, 711/111, 711/162
• US Class Current: 370/380
• 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 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4616 LAN interconnection over a LAN backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

Communication protocols, systems, and methods that facilitate communication between disaggregated elements, and also to devices adapted to function as such disaggregated elements, particularly across peer-to-peer (masterless) and include one or more unique features such as packet atomicity, blind ACKs, NAT bridging, locking, multicast spanning and mirroring, and authentication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a first device, a first packet having a data portion that is at least approximately equal in size to a native block size of a second device, which is smaller than a native block size of the first device, the first packet further having a first segment of a split identifier;

encapsulating the first packet into a data portion of a second packet, the second packet having a control portion with a second segment of the split identifier; and

transmitting, by the first device, the first and second packet to the second device over a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second devices are storage devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an authentication token within the control portion of the second packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second segment corresponds to a storage area of the second device and the first segment corresponds to a storage block of the storage area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the storage area is a partition of the second device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second segment is an internet protocol address and the first segment is a logical block address.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a lock command, within the control portion of the second packet, to instruct the second device to prevent subsequent access to the storage block.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a transfer command, within the control portion of the second packet, to transfer the data to the storage block.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the first packet comprises:

generating an atomic packet with sufficient information, including a transfer command, to allow the transfer command to be executed by the second device without having to rely on information from any other packets.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the first packet comprises generating an atomic packet.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to generate a first packet having a data portion that is at least approximately equal in size to a native block size of a target device, which is smaller than a native block size of the apparatus, the first packet further having a first segment of a split identifier, the controller further configured to encapsulate the first packet into a data portion of a second packet, the second packet having a control portion with a second segment of the split identifier; and

a network interface coupled to the controller, and configured to transmit the packet to the target device across a network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

provide an authentication token within the control portion of the second packet.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second segment corresponds to a storage area of the target device and the first segment corresponds to a storage block of the storage area.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the storage area is a partition of the target device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second segment is an internet protocol address and the first segment is a logical block address.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

provide a transfer command, within the control portion of the second packet, to transfer the data to the storage block; and

provide a lock command, within the control portion of the second packet, to instruct the target device to prevent subsequent access to the storage block.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

generate an atomic packet with sufficient information, including a transfer command, to allow the transfer command to be executed by the target device without having to rely on information from any other packets.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating a first packet having a data portion that is at least approximately equal in size to a native block size of a target device, which is smaller than a native block size of the apparatus, the first packet further having a first segment of a split identifier;

means for encapsulating the first packet into a data portion of a second packet, the second packet having a control portion with a second segment of the split identifier and

means for transmitting the atomic packet to the target device over a network.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second segment corresponds to a storage area of the target device and the first segment corresponds to a storage block of the storage area.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the storage area is a partition of the target device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the second segment is an internet protocol address and the first segment is a logical block address.