One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a port that couples to a server hosting a number of virtual machines. The switch also includes a set of virtual port grouping information and a virtual port grouping mechanism. During operation, the virtual port grouping mechanism determines whether a frame is traveling from a virtual port group to the same virtual port group. If the frame is not traveling to the same virtual port group, the virtual port grouping mechanism prevents the frame from being forwarded.

Virtual port grouping for virtual cluster switching

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a first port configured to receive Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) traffic; a second port configured to receive Fiber Channel (FC) traffic; and a third port configured to transmit received TRILL or FC traffic based on a Fiber Channel over IP (FCIP) protocol.

Converged network extension

Methods and apparatus for management of network slices in a communication network such as a 5 th generation wireless communication network are provided. Management planes may be provided which are separate from the plurality of network slices. A connection manager residing in a management plane receives an indication that a mobile device is to be associated with the communication network. The connection manager may reside at an access node or in the core network. A network slice is determined, and the connection manager transmits instructions, to one or more network nodes, to associate the mobile device with the network slice. The instructions may be provided to a local connection manager. The slice may be requested explicitly by the mobile device, or determined based on device and/or network requirements.

System and method for virtualized functions in control and data planes

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a tunnel management module, a packet processor, and a forwarding module. The tunnel management module operates the switch as a tunnel gateway capable of terminating an overlay tunnel. During operation, the packet processor, which is coupled to the tunnel management module, identifies in a data packet a virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with a virtual tunnel gateway. This virtual tunnel gateway is associated with the switch and the data packet is associated with the overlay tunnel. The forwarding module determines an output port for an inner packet in the data packet based on a destination address of the inner packet.

Overlay tunnel in a fabric switch

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a management mechanism and a configuration mechanism. During operation, the management mechanism is configured to operate the switch in conjunction with the partner switch as a single logical switch. The configuration mechanism is configured to assign a virtual switch identifier to the logical switch.

Redundant host connection in a routed network

Transparent communication between iSCSI and FCoE end nodes is provided by a gateway device having iSCSI and FCoE network interfaces. The gateway allows end nodes of one protocol to communicate with end nodes of another protocol as if they were communicating with end nodes of the same protocol. The gateway accomplishes this by creating “ghost” end nodes for each protocol. For example, the gateway creates ghost iSCSI nodes corresponding to physical FCoE nodes, and ghost FCoE nodes corresponding to physical iSCSI nodes. A ghost end node of a particular protocol is able to communicate with native end nodes of that protocol as if it were a native end node, because the gateway translates packets sent from end nodes in their native protocol into the other protocol for receipt by corresponding ghost nodes, and vice versa.

iSCSI to FCoE Gateway

Embodiments of the invention include a management agent which has access to power output control circuitry of a digital electronic communication switch, a power meter, a load sharing means, and the ability to manage the power of switching circuits in the switch. The power meter enables the management agent to identify the power consumed by the switching circuits that are enabled and operational. This information, coupled with (1) knowledge of the power allocated to each port via PoE, and (2) policy information (which specifies power allocation preferences) is used in a two-pass power management method.

Intelligent power management of an intermediate network device switching circuitry and poe delivery

Controlling a topology of a network includes determining a desired topology of a network, comparing the desired topology to a current topology of the network, and controlling the current topology with role assignments and parameter assignments to network components in the current topology to implement the desired topology with the current network components.

Controlling a topology of a network

A method for managing a number of Ethernet links includes identifying a number of Ethernet links to utilize a number of channels of a cable based on a number of capabilities and a number of policies of a number of media access controllers (MACs) and a number of physical layer entities (PHYs), determining a number of Ethernet link types to be configured for the cable based on the capabilities and policies of the MACs and PHYs, negotiating a number of parameters to allow multi-channel ports of a number of nodes connected to the cable to establish communications through the Ethernet links based on the determined Ethernet link types and the utilized channels, and managing the cable configuration describing the MACs to be supported by the channels within the cable based on the policies.

Managing a number of ethernet links

Utilizing collected data from a software-defined networking (SDN) network to diagnose a user experience includes receiving application session quality metrics from an application within a SDN network, collecting network information from network components that carry network traffic of the SDN network, and utilizing the application session quality metrics and the network information to run a diagnostic analysis to improve the user experience in real-time or for future sessions.

James S. Hiscock

Papers

iSCSI to FCoE Gateway

Intelligent power management of an intermediate network device switching circuitry and poe delivery

Controlling a topology of a network

Managing a number of ethernet links

Utilizing collected data from a software-defined networking network to diagnose a user experience