Method and apparatus for providing virtual machine information to a network interface

US10437770B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited · SG

Inventors

• Dennis Hideo Makishima · Mountain View, US
• Sathish Kumar Gnanasekaran · Sunnyvale, US
• Badrinath Kollu · San Jose, US
• Prasanta Kumar David Bhuyan · Broomfield, US
• Howard Johnson · Webster, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 2015
• Grant date: Oct 8, 2019
• Expiry date: Jan 28, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F2009/45595
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A hypervisor preferably provides VM (virtual machine) identification, priority and LUN/LBA range information to the HBA (host bus adapter) when a VM is created. Alternatively, the HBA can determine that a LUN/LBA range is new and request VM identity, priority and LUN/LBA range from the hypervisor. The HBA creates a table containing the VM identification, priority and LUN/LBA range. The HBA then detects operations directed to the LUN/LBA range and does a lookup to determine VM identification and priority. VM identification and priority are then mapped into a field in a frame using a unique identifier. The unique identifier can be placed using reserved bits on the existing Fiber Channel (FC) header or can use bits in an additional header, such as a modified IFR header or an optional device header. The VM identification aware HBAs register with the NS.