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System and method for supporting subnet manager (SM) level robust handling of unkown management key in an infiniband (IB) network

  • US 9,935,848 B2
  • Filed: 06/04/2012
  • Issued: 04/03/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for handling an unknown remote subnet manager (SM) and an incoming unknown management key from the remote subnet manager in an InfiniBand (IB) network fabric operating on one or more microprocessors, comprising:

  • detecting, by a local SM of a first IB network fabric, a connection of a remote port of a second IB network fabric to the first IB network fabric, wherein the local SM is associated with a first M_Key, wherein the remote port is associated with a subnet management agent (SMA) and is managed by a remote SM of the second IB network fabric, wherein the remote SM of the second IB fabric is associated with a second M_Key different from the first M_Key, wherein the remote SM of the second IB network fabric is positioned behind the remote port in the second IB network fabric, and wherein the connection of the remote port of the second IB network fabric is a physical link to a local port of the first IB network fabric that is managed by the local SM of the first IB network fabric;

    receiving, by the local SM of the first IB network fabric, an incoming subnet management packet (SMP) from the remote SM of the second IB network fabric, the incoming SMP including the second M_Key associated with the second SM of the second I B network fabric;

    determining, by the local SM of the first IB network fabric, that the second M_Key included in the received SMP from the remote subnet is inconsistent with a configuration of the local SM of the first IB network fabric by comparing the second M_Key with a list of M_Keys in a configuration file of the local SM;

    dropping the received SMP based on the determined inconsistency of the second M_Key with the configuration of the local SM of the first IB network fabric;

    preventing the initiation of subnet management packet (SMP) communication from the local SM of the first IB network fabric to the remote port of the second IB network fabric based on the determined inconsistency of the second M_Key with the configuration of the local SM of the first IB network fabric;

    preventing subnet-discovery operation attempts by the local SM of the first IB network fabric over the link to the remote port of the second IB network fabric based on the determined inconsistency of the second M_Key with the configuration of the local SM of the first IB network fabric;

    subsequent to determining the inconsistency of the second M_Key, periodically performing, by the local subnet manager of the first IB network fabric and without dependency on receipt of state-change traps from the SMA associated with the remote port, integrity checks on the SMA associated with the remote port;

    determining that the integrity checks have failed; and

    configuring, by the local SM of the first IB network fabric, and in response to the determined failure of the integrity checks, the local port to treat the physical link connecting the local port to the remote port as logically down, wherein, while the local port is treated as logically down, the local SM does not receive or evaluate any subnet-level communications sent from the remote port.

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