Creating and/or managing meta-data for data storage devices using a packet switch appliance

• US 8,824,466 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gigamon Incorporated (Elliott Capital Advisors LP)
• Original Assignee: Gigamon Incorporated (Elliott Capital Advisors LP)
• Inventors: Won, King L., Leong, Patrick Pak Tak
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsiung, Hai-Chang
• Application Number:
  US12/869,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements

Abstract

A first instrument port of a packet switch appliance is connected to a first data storage device. A second port is configured as a first network port. A first meta-data tag is created for a first block of packets received through the first network port. The first block is sent to the first data storage device through the first instrument port. The first meta-data tag or copy is sent to the first data storage device and/or a storage management server. A second instrument port of the packet switch appliance is connected to a second data storage device. A second meta-data tag is created for a second block of packets received through the first network port. The second block is sent to the second data storage device through the second instrument port. The second meta-data tag or copy is sent to the second data storage device and/or the storage management server.

Claims

1. A packet switch appliance, comprising:

a first network port for receiving a first packet;

a first instrument port for communication with a first device; and

a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet;

wherein the first meta-data tag comprises an identifier of the packet switch appliance and information about the first network port at which the first packet is received; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device.

2. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, further comprising a second network port for receiving a second packet, wherein the processing unit is configured to create a second meta-data tag for the second packet.

3. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to create a second meta-data tag for a second packet.

4. The packet switch appliance of claim 3, further comprising a second instrument port for communication with a second device;

wherein the processing unit is configured to pass the second meta-data tag to the second instrument port for transmission of the second meta-data tag to the second device.

5. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, further comprising a management port for communication with a management node, wherein the management port is configured to both transmit information to, and receive information from, the management node.

6. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, further comprising a transport port for communication with another packet switch appliance.

7. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the first meta-data tag further comprises a first time stamp and a second time stamp for the first packet.

8. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the first network port is selectively configurable to function as a network port for packet reception, or an instrument port for packet transmission to a device.

9. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to create the first meta-data tag by filtering the first packet, applying a tag to the filtered packet, and creating the first meta-data tag based on the applied tag.

10. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to filter packets, parse packets, or both filter and parse packets, based on one or more criteria.

11. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria comprises one or more of a VLAN identification of the packet, a source address, a destination address, and a type of data.

12. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the packet switch appliance is an out-of-band appliance.

13. The packet switch appliance of claim 1, wherein the first meta-data tag further comprises a first time stamp.

14. The packet switch appliance of claim 13, wherein the first time stamp is associated with an arrival time of the first packet at the packet switch appliance.

15. The packet switch appliance of claim 13, wherein the first time stamp is associated with a departure time of the first packet from the packet switch appliance.

16. The packet switch appliance of claim 13, wherein the first meta-data tag further comprises a second time stamp, wherein the first time stamp is associated with an arrival time of the first packet at the packet switch appliance, and the second time stamp is associated with a departure time of the first packet from the packet switch appliance.

17. A network system comprising:

a packet switch appliance having a first network port for receiving a first packet, a first instrument port for communication with a first device, and a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet, wherein the first meta-data tag comprises an identifier of the packet switch appliance and information about the first network port at which the first packet is received, and wherein the processing unit is configured to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device; and

an additional packet switch appliance;

wherein the packet switch appliance comprises a first transport port configured to communicate with the additional packet switch appliance through a second transport port at the additional packet switch appliance.

18. The network system of claim 17, further comprising a management node in communication with both the packet switch appliance and the additional packet switch appliance.

19. The network system of claim 18, wherein the management node has access to a first set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the packet switch appliance, and a second set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the additional packet switch appliance.

20. A network system comprising:

a packet switch appliance having a first network port for receiving a first packet, a first instrument port for communication with a first device, and a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet, wherein the first meta-data tag comprises an identifier of the packet switch appliance and information about the first network port at which the first packet is received, and wherein the processing unit is configured to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device;

an additional packet switch appliance;

wherein the packet switch appliance comprises a first management port, the additional packet switch appliance comprises a second management port, and the first and second management ports are configured to communicate with a same management node.

21. The network system of claim 20, further comprising the management node, wherein the management node has access to a first set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the packet switch appliance, and a second set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the additional packet switch appliance.

22. A packet switch appliance, comprising:

a first network port for receiving a first packet;

a first instrument port for communication with a first device;

a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet, and to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device; and

a port for communication with an additional packet switch appliance;

wherein the first meta-data tag comprises one or both of an identifier of the packet switch appliance, and information about the first network port at which the first packet is received by the packet switch appliance.

23. A packet switch appliance, comprising:

a first network port for receiving a first packet;

a first instrument port for communication with a first device;

a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet, and to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device; and

a port for communication with an additional packet switch appliance;

wherein the first meta-data tag comprises a first time stamp and a second time stamp for the first packet.

24. A packet switch appliance, comprising:

a first network port for receiving a first packet;

a first instrument port for communication with a first device;

a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet, and to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission to the first device, wherein the first meta-data tag includes an identifier of the first instrument port that is for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device; and

a port for communication with an additional packet switch appliance.

25. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, wherein the port comprises a transport port dedicated for communication with the additional packet switch appliance.

26. The packet switch appliance of claim 25, wherein the packet switch appliance is arranged with the additional packet switch appliance in a stacked configuration using the transport port.

27. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is configured to create a second meta-data tag for a second packet.

28. The packet switch appliance of claim 27, further comprising a second instrument port for communication with a second device;

wherein the processing unit is configured to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission to the first device, and to pass the second meta-data tag to the second instrument port for transmission to the second device.

29. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, further comprising a management port for communication with a management node, wherein the management port is configured to both transmit information to, and receive information from, the management node.

30. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, wherein the first network port is selectively configurable to function as a network port for packet reception, or an instrument port for packet transmission to a device.

31. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is configured to create the first meta-data tag by filtering the first packet, applying a tag to the filtered packet, and creating the first meta-data tag based on the applied tag.

32. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is configured to filter packets, parse packets, or both filter and parse packets, based on one or more criteria.

33. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, wherein the one or more criteria comprises one or more of a VLAN identification of the packet, a source address, a destination address, and a type of data.

34. The packet switch appliance of claim 24, wherein the packet switch appliance is an out-of-band appliance.

35. A network system comprising:

a packet switch appliance having a first network port for receiving a first packet, a first instrument port for communication with a first device, a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet, and to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission to the first device, wherein the first meta-data tag includes an identifier of the first instrument port that is for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device, and a port for communication with an additional packet switch appliance; and

an additional packet switch appliance;

wherein additional packet switch appliance comprises a transport port configured to communicate with the packet switch appliance through the port at the packet switch appliance.

36. The network system of claim 35, further comprising a management node in communication with both the packet switch appliance and the additional packet switch appliance.

37. The network system of claim 36, wherein the management node has access to a first set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the packet switch appliance, and a second set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the additional packet switch appliance.

38. A network system comprising:

a packet switch appliance having a first network port for receiving a first packet, a first instrument port for communication with a first device, a processing unit configured to create a first meta-data tag for the first packet, and to pass the first meta-data tag to the first instrument port for transmission to the first device, wherein the first meta-data tag includes an identifier of the first instrument port that is for transmission of the first meta-data tag to the first device, and a port for communication with an additional packet switch appliance;

an additional packet switch appliance;

wherein the packet switch appliance comprises a first management port, the additional packet switch appliance comprises a second management port, and the first and second management ports are configured to communicate with a same management node.

39. The network system of claim 38, further comprising the management node, wherein the management node has access to a first set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the packet switch appliance, and a second set of one or more storage devices that are in communication with the additional packet switch appliance.