Providing network capability over a converged interconnect fabric

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards emulating a data network interface for operating an interconnect controller in accordance with a networking standard. The emulated data network interface provides address resolution data associated with a destination, within a converged interconnect fabric, for application data. The address resolution data identifies a communication path that is compatible with the interconnect controller. The application data conforms to the networking standard. The emulated data network interface instructs the interconnect controller to route the application data to the destination via the compatible communication path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a computing environment, a method performed at least in part on at least one processor, comprising, emulating a data network interface in accordance with a networking standard, wherein the data network interfaces operates with an interconnect controller, including, providing address resolution data to identify a communication path that is compatible with the interconnect controller and associated with a destination for application data within a converged interconnect fabric, and using the interconnect controller to route the application data to the destination based on the address resolution data, wherein the application data conforms to the networking standard. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the address resolution data further comprises intercepting requests for the address resolution data associated with the destination. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein intercepting the requests further comprises redirecting the requests to a root node via the interconnect controller. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising storing a path identifier representing the communication path and a physical address associated with the destination in the address resolution data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising instructing the interconnect controller to communicate the application data to the destination via one or more interconnects. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the address resolution data further comprises processing a native communication path from the interconnect controller to a root node, and processing host configuration data that is communicated via the native communication path and comprises at least one of a network address or a physical address associated with a switch. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the address resolution data further comprises storing a mapping between a network address and a physical address in the address resolution data, wherein the mapping is associated with a data network interface of the destination. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the interconnect controller to route the application data further comprises communicating multicast packets that comprises the application data to a root node that routes a copy of the multicast packets to each member of a multicast membership group. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the interconnect controller to route the application data further comprises communicating broadcast packets that comprises the application data to a root node, wherein the root node routes a copy of the broadcast packets to each host node within a subnet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the address resolution data further comprises intercepting a request for a host configuration and redirecting the request to a root node, wherein the root node replies with a network address associated with a data network interface. 
     
     
         11 . In a computing environment, a system, comprising, an orchestrator configured to enable a local area network over a converged interconnect fabric between data network interfaces, wherein the orchestrator is further configured to access network configuration information comprising a physical address for each data network interface that is compatible with an associated interconnect controller, to use the network configuration information to create a mapping between each pair of physical addresses and a path identifier associated with an accessible communication path from a corresponding data network interface, and to communicate each mapping to a corresponding node within the local area network via the converged interconnect fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the orchestrator is further configured to respond to an address resolution data request with an address associated with a layer of a protocol stack. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the orchestrator is further configured to respond to a multicast request with an orchestrator physical address and route a copy of multicast packets to a corresponding network address for each multicast group member. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the orchestrator is further configured to respond to a broadcast request with an orchestrator physical address and route a copy of application data to a corresponding network address for each node within a subnet. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the orchestrator is further configured to assign the physical addresses to the data network interfaces within the local area network within a data center. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises an emulation mechanism configured to implement a data communication protocol that routes application data to a destination in accordance with a networking standard, wherein the emulation mechanism comprises an intermediate driver that is interoperable with an optical interconnect controller for communicating the application data via a plurality of optical interconnects in the converged interconnect fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the emulation mechanism is further configured to partition an emulated data network interface into virtual data network interfaces, and wherein the orchestrator is further configured to assign a network address and a physical address to each virtual network interface. 
     
     
         18 . One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:
 accessing a native communication path with an orchestrator for a local area network, wherein the native communication path comprises one or more interconnects;   configuring a node with a physical address that is communicated by the orchestrator via the native communication path;   providing a data communication protocol to a native miniport driver for controlling a switch within the node, wherein the switch corresponds to an interconnect technology;   providing a miniport to overlaying protocol layer drivers in accordance with a networking standard;   requesting a network address for the node from the orchestrator via the native communication path;   requesting a destination physical address for a data network interface from the orchestrator via the native communication path; and   routing application data frames to the destination physical address using the miniport driver, wherein the application data frames conform to the networking standard.   
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 18  having further computer-executable instructions comprising:
 partitioning the switch into one or more virtual data network interfaces for one or more virtual machines. 
 
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 18  having further computer-executable instructions comprising:
 instructing a protocol-independent interconnect controller to communicate the application data frames along a communication path to the data network interface.