Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100165876 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED DYNAMIC NETWORK PROVISIONING - In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a virtual resource hosted by a host device, selecting a configuration template associated with the virtual resource, and providing a provisioning instruction to a virtual switch module hosted by the host device based on the configuration template. The host device is operatively coupled to a network device. The detecting is at the network device; the selecting is at the network device; and the providing is at the network device. The virtual switch module is in communication with the virtual resource. The configuration template associated with the virtual resource is selected from a library of configuration templates accessible to the network device. | 07-01-2010 |
20100169467 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING A NETWORK TOPOLOGY DURING NETWORK PROVISIONING - In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a provisioning instruction including a device identifier from an external management entity, receiving the device identifier from a network device, associating the provisioning instruction the network device, and sending a portion of the provisioning instruction to the network device. The device identifier being associated with a virtual resource. The associating is based on the device identifier of the virtual resource and a device identifier of a network device. The portion of the provisioning instruction is sent to the network device based on the associating. | 07-01-2010 |
20110128957 | MULTICAST TREE STATE REPLICATION - A network device may include a first memory to store a primary multicast tree state table for storing next-hop information for a multicast tree corresponding to a multicast stream; a second memory to store a secondary multicast tree, different than the primary multicast tree, state table for storing the next-hop information for the multicast tree corresponding to the multicast stream; a receiver to receive a data unit from a neighbor network device, the data unit including information regarding a next-hop in the multicast tree; and one or more processors. The one or more processors may update the primary multicast tree state table based on the information regarding the next-hop in the multicast tree, and update the secondary multicast tree state table, in response to the one or more processors updates the primary multicast tree state table, based on the information regarding the next-hop in the multicast tree. | 06-02-2011 |
20120163174 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO REDUCE FORWARDING STATE ON AN FCOE-TO-FC GATEWAY USING PORT-SPECIFIC MAC ADDRESSES - In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an initialization module configured to receive a Fibre Channel over Ethernet Initialization Protocol (FIP) login request from a network device. The initialization module is configured to select an outbound port based at least in part on a load-balancing calculation. The initialization module is configured to define a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address. The initialization module is configured to associate the destination MAC address with the outbound port. The initialization module is configured to send, to the network device, a signal including the destination MAC address in response to the FIP login request. | 06-28-2012 |
20120163374 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING UNIQUE MAC ADDRESS TO INDIVIDUAL NODE FOR FIBRE CHANNEL OVER ETHERNET (FCOE) TRAFFIC - In one embodiment, an apparatus can include a filter module operatively coupled to a switching module. The filter module can be configured to define a filter to be applied to a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frame received from any port from multiple ports instantiated at a network device. The filter can be defined based at least in part on a first logical address associated with a first port from the multiple ports. The first logical address can be based at least in part on (1) a first identifier associated with a switch fabric to which the apparatus is operatively coupled and (2) a second identifier associated with a first port from the multiple ports. The filter module can be configured to define the filter such that a switching module sends the FCoE frame to a Fibre Channel device when a second logical address included in the FCoE frame matches the first logical address and the filter module is operatively coupled to the switching module. | 06-28-2012 |
20120163376 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ROUTE FIBRE CHANNEL FRAMES USING REDUCED FORWARDING STATE ON AN FCOE-TO-FC GATEWAY - In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a switching policy module configured to define a switching policy associating a Fibre Channel port with a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address. The switching module can be configured to receive a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frame from a network device and send a Fibre Channel frame encapsulated in the FCoE frame to the Fibre Channel port based at least in part on the switching policy and a destination MAC address of the FCoE frame. | 06-28-2012 |
20120163391 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR REDUNDANCY ASSOCIATED WITH A FIBRE CHANNEL OVER ETHERNET NETWORK - In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a gateway device configured to be operatively coupled to a Fibre Channel switch by a first data port and a second data port. The gateway device is configured to designate the first data port as a primary data port and the second data port as a secondary data port. The gateway device is configured to associate a set of virtual ports with the first data port and not the second data port when in the first configuration. The gateway device is configured to associate the set of virtual ports with the second data port when in the second configuration. The gateway device moves from the first configuration to the second configuration when an error associated with the first data port is detected. | 06-28-2012 |
20120163395 | APPARATUS AND METHODS TO AGGREGATE FCOE (FIBRE CHANNEL OVER ETHERNET) FILTER RULES OF A SINGLE INTERFACE IN A SINGLE OR FEW RULES ON A FIRST-HOP FCOE NETWORKING ELEMENT - In one embodiment, an apparatus can include a filter module configured to receive multiple Media Access Control (MAC) addresses associated with multiple virtual ports instantiated at a first network device. Each virtual port from the multiple virtual ports can be associated with a MAC address from the multiple MAC addresses. The filter module can be configured to define a filter to be applied to a data frame sent between the first network device and a network switch, the filter being based at least in part on a MAC address prefix included in each MAC address from the plurality of MAC addresses. The MAC address prefix can include an identifier uniquely associated with a second network device at which the filter module operates. | 06-28-2012 |
20120320795 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING A NETWORK TOPOLOGY DURING NETWORK PROVISIONING - In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a provisioning instruction including a device identifier from an external management entity, receiving the device identifier from a network device, associating the provisioning instruction the network device, and sending a portion of the provisioning instruction to the network device. The device identifier being associated with a virtual resource. The associating is based on the device identifier of the virtual resource and a device identifier of a network device. The portion of the provisioning instruction is sent to the network device based on the associating. | 12-20-2012 |
20130148659 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING A FIBRE CHANNEL ZONE POLICY - In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first network switch configured to be within a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) network, which has a set of network switches including the first network switch. The first network switch is configured to receive, from a first network device, a login signal including a proposed logical identifier for the first network device. The first network switch is configured to send, in response to the login signal, a multicast signal including the proposed logical identifier to remaining network switches from the set of network switches. As a result, a second network switch from the set of network switches enforces a zone policy in response to receiving the multicast signal and prior to sending the proposed logical identifier to a second network device. | 06-13-2013 |
20130163591 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A DISTRIBUTED FIBRE CHANNEL CONTROL PLANE - In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a management module configured to assign a unique set of identifiers to each network control entity from a set of network control entities. As a result, a network control entity from the set of network control entities can assign an identifier from its unique set of identifiers to a port in response to that network control entity receiving a login request from the port. The set of network control entities is associated with a distributed multi-stage switch. The management module is also configured to store a zone set database associated with the distributed multi-stage switch. The management module is configured to send an instance of an active zone set stored within the zone set database to each network control entity from the set of network control entities such that each network control entity can enforce the active zone set. | 06-27-2013 |
20130163607 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A DISTRIBUTED FIBRE CHANNEL CONTROL PLANE - In some embodiments, a system includes a set of network control entities associated with a distributed multi-stage switch. Each network control entity from the set of network control entities is configured to manage at least one edge device having a set of ports and coupled to the distributed multi-stage switch. Each network control entity from the set of network control entities is associated with a unique set of identifiers. A network control entity from the set of network control entities is configured to assign a unique identifier from its unique set of identifiers to a port from the set of ports of the at least one edge device in response to the network control entity receiving a login request associated with the port. | 06-27-2013 |