Method and apparatus for registering and storing virtual machine unique information capabilities

A Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a network device comprising:

• a driver for executing on a host computer and interfacing with a hypervisor;
• and
• a hardware portion for coupling to a storage area network;
• wherein the HBA is configured to incorporate a unique identifier of a virtual machine into a frame, the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine,
• wherein the HBA is configured to provide virtual machine information associated with the virtual machine to a switch, the switch operating as a fabric name server including a database of devices, allocating the unique identifier based on the virtual machine information from the HBA and providing the unique identifier to the HBA to incorporate into the outgoing frames,
• wherein the HBA is configured to receive the unique identifier allocated for identifying the virtual machine from the switch in response to providing the virtual machine information to the switch, and
• wherein the HBA is configured to register, with a fabric name server, HBA's capability of incorporating the unique identifier into outgoing frames obtained from the virtual machine.

A switch comprising:

• a plurality of ports for receiving frames and providing frames;
• a processor coupled to the plurality of ports for analyzing the received frames and developing frames to be provided;
• switching hardware coupled to the processor and the plurality of ports for switching frames among the plurality of ports and the processor;
• memory coupled to the processor for storing a database;
• and
• computer readable media coupled to the processor and causing the processor to operate as a fabric name server, the fabric name server including a database of devices, and to manage addresses of connected devices, and causing the processor to allocate a unique identifier based on virtual machine information from a Host Bus Adapter (HBA), the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine, and to provide the unique identifier to the HBA to incorporate into the outgoing frames,
• wherein received frames include frames from a HBA of a network device registering, with the fabric name server, the HBA's capability of incorporating a unique identifier into outgoing frames obtained from a virtual machine, wherein the fabric name server stores the HBA's capability in the database of devices.

A method comprising:

• providing, by a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a network device configured to incorporate a unique identifier of a virtual machine into a frame, the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine, a registration of the HBA's capability of incorporating the unique identifier into outgoing frames obtained from the virtual machine;
• a registration of the HBA's capability of incorporation the unique identifier into outgoing frames obtained from the virtual machines
• storing, by a fabric name server of a switch coupled to the HBA, the fabric name server including a database of devices, the HBA's capability in the database of devices;
• providing, by the HBA, virtual machine information associated with the virtual machine to the switch;
• allocating, by the switch, the unique identifier based on the virtual machine information from the HBA;
• and
• providing, by the switch, the unique identifier to the HBA in response to receiving the virtual machine information from the HBA;
• and
• incorporating, by the HBA, the unique identifier of the virtual machine into a frame.

A method comprising:

• incorporating, by a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a network device, a unique identifier of a virtual machine into a frame, the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine;
• providing, by the HBA, virtual machine information associated with the virtual machine to a switch, the switch including a fabric name server, the fabric name server including a database of devices, allocating the unique identifier based on the virtual machine information from the HBA and providing the unique identifier to the HBA to incorporate into the outgoing frames;
• receiving, by the HBA, the unique identifier allocated for identifying the virtual machine from the switch in response to providing the virtual machine information to the switch;
• and registering, by the HBA and with the fabric name server in the switch, the HBA's capability of incorporating the unique identifier into outgoing frames obtained from a virtual machine.

A method comprising:

• operating, by a switch, a fabric name server, the fabric name server including a database of devices;
• receiving, by the switch, frames from a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a network device registering the HBAs capability with the fabric name server of incorporating a unique identifier into outgoing frames obtained from a virtual machine;
• storing, by the fabric name server, the HBA's capability in the database of devices;
• receiving, by the switch, virtual machine information associated with the virtual machine from the HBA;
• allocating, by the switch, a unique identifier based on the virtual machine information from the HBA, the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine;
• and providing, by the switch, the unique identifier to the HBA in response to receiving virtual machine information from the HBA.

An apparatus comprising:

• a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a network device configured to:
• provide virtual machine information associated with a virtual machine to a switch;
• receive, in response to providing the virtual machine information to the switch, a frame that includes a unique identifier allocated for identifying the virtual machine from the switch, the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine;
• and
• incorporate the unique identifier for the virtual machine into an outgoing frame from the virtual machine;
• and
• the switch coupled to the HBA, the switch including;
• a plurality of ports;
• a processor coupled to the plurality of ports;
• switching hardware coupled to the processor and the plurality of ports for switching frames among the plurality of ports and the processor;
• memory coupled to the processor for storing a database;
• and
• computer readable media coupled to the processor and causing the processor to allocate the unique identifier based on the virtual machine information from the HBA and to provide the unique identifier to the HBA to incorporate into the outgoing frames.

A switch comprising:

• a plurality of ports for receiving frames and providing frames;
• a processor coupled to the plurality of ports for analyzing the received frames and developing frames to be provided;
• switching hardware coupled to the processor and the plurality of ports for switching frames among the plurality of ports and the processor;
• and
• computer readable media coupled to the processor and causing the processor to:
• obtain virtual machine information contained in the received frames provided by a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a network device, wherein the virtual machine information corresponds to a virtual machine;
• and
• map the virtual machine information to a unique identifier allocated to identify the virtual machine, the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine;
• and
• transmit a frame containing the unique identifier to the HBA in response to receiving the virtual machine information from the HBA.

A method comprising:

• obtaining, by a switch, virtual machine information contained in received frames provide by a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) of a network device, wherein the virtual machine information is indicative of a virtual machine
• determining and allocating, by the switch, a unique identifier that identifies the virtual machine based on the virtual machine information, the unique identifier being distinct from a frame address, the frame address not being unique to a virtual machine;
• and
• providing, by the switch and in response to receiving virtual machine information from the HBA, a frame containing the unique identifier to the HBA for the HBA to incorporate into the outgoing frames.