Hypervisor Fabric VM Identifier for Fibre Channel Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Fibre Channel environments, virtual machines (VMs) are unaware of their Fibre Channel access, leading to a lack of visibility and control for storage devices and switches, making it difficult to assert VM-specific access controls.
Innovation Solution
A VM-aware Fibre Channel environment is implemented where Hypervisors identify virtual machines with unique global identifiers and allocate priority values as local identifiers, enabling the Fibre Channel switches and storage devices to associate frames with specific VMs through a fabric VM identifier, allowing for enhanced access control and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If Fibre Channel protocol is terminated within Hypervisor and VM is presented with virtualized generic SCSI, then VM simplicity and ease of operation are improved, but visibility and control for storage devices and switches deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces Fabric VM identifiers (combining port identifiers and priority values) as an intermediary mechanism that enables SAN actors to identify VM-specific traffic without requiring VM awareness of Fibre Channel protocols. This intermediary layer preserves visibility for storage devices and switches while maintaining the simplified virtualized SCSI presentation to VMs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension of identification by combining port identifiers and priority values to create Fabric VM identifiers. This dimensional approach allows SAN actors to associate Fibre Channel traffic with specific VMs without altering the existing VM-to-Hypervisor interface, thus maintaining simplicity while enabling visibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If Fibre Channel protocol is terminated within Hypervisor, then VM abstraction and versatility are improved, but ability to assert VM-specific access controls deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The Fabric VM identifier serves as an intermediary that carries VM-specific identification information through the Fibre Channel fabric. This enables storage devices and switches to assert VM-specific access controls based on the identifier embedded in FC frames, while the Hypervisor continues to provide versatile virtualization services without direct protocol knowledge.
3Productivity
If VM movements occur in Fibre Channel-unaware environment, then resource utilization and productivity are improved, but frame losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the Hypervisor notifies SAN actors (storage devices and switches) of VM movement events using update frames containing Fabric VM identifiers. This feedback allows SAN actors to maintain correct associations between identifiers and physical paths, preventing frame losses during VM migrations while enabling continuous resource utilization improvements.
Solution Approach 2:
The Hypervisor performs preliminary actions by sending update frames to SAN actors before or during VM movements. This preliminary notification ensures that storage devices and switches are prepared to handle the VM migration, maintaining frame delivery reliability while allowing productive resource reallocation.
Data Source
AI summary
A Hypervisor hosted on a computer device includes a Fibre Channel (FC) port to communicate with an FC switch in an FC switched fabric. The FC port has a port identifier assigned by the switch device. The Hypervisor solicits from the switch FC priority values available to be allocated as respective local identifiers of virtual machines (VMs). The Hypervisor instantiates a VM with a global VM identifier, and allocates one of the solicited priority values to the instantiated VM such that the allocated priority value and the port identifier together represent a fabric VM identifier. After the allocating, the Hypervisor sends to the FC switch an update frame to indicate the instantiated VM, the global VM identifier, and the fabric VM identifier. During an FC session, the Hypervisor exchanges FC frames with an FC destination port connected to the switched fabric. Each session frame indicates the fabric VM identifier.