Method and system for configuring virtual fabrics

1. A method comprising:

receiving one or more virtual fabric configuration parameters;

determining if a virtual fabric configuration of a virtual fabric within an Infiniband fabric based on the one or more virtual fabric configuration parameters can be implemented;

computing a quality of service (QOS) parameter, a routing and a partition such that the QOS parameter, routing and partitioning are interrelated, wherein computation of the QOS parameter is influenced by a bandwidth and a partition membership of each of a plurality of virtual fabrics;

configuring a plurality of switches and a plurality of host channel adapters (HCA's) within the virtual fabric based on the virtual fabric configuration; and

routing packets over the virtual fabric after the configuring.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition comprises:

assigning a plurality of partition keys;

assigning a plurality of servers to a plurality of partitions;

computing the routing;

assigning a plurality of switches to the partitions;

assigning a plurality of service levels to a plurality of applications; and

computing the QOS parameter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual fabric configuration is provided by an enhanced user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subnet manager notifies a user if the configuration cannot be realized in the Infiniband fabric.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subnet manager configures the switches and HCAs via a subnet manager administrator (SMA).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein virtual fabrics requesting higher bandwidth are given more paths within the fabric.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein when computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition, the QOS parameter within links shared among a plurality of virtual fabrics is based on a bandwidth and a priority designated for each of the virtual fabrics.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein when computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition, a membership for a device in each partition is based on a membership of the device within a given one of a plurality of virtual fabrics.

9. A system comprising:

an enhanced subnet manager user interface coupled to an enhanced subnet manager executed by a computing device, wherein a user inputs a configuration request comprising one or more virtual fabric configuration parameters to configure a virtual fabric to the enhanced subnet manager, and the enhanced subnet manager validates if the configuration request is realizable, computes a quality of service (QOS) parameter, a routing and a partition such that the QOS parameter, routing and partitioning are interrelated, wherein computation of the QOS parameter is influenced by a bandwidth and a partition membership of each of a plurality of virtual fabrics, configures a plurality of switches and a plurality of host channel adapters (HCA's) within the virtual fabric based on the virtual fabric configuration.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the enhanced subnet manager computes the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition by assigning a plurality of partition keys, assigning a plurality of servers to a plurality of partitions, computing the routing assigning a plurality of switches to the partitions assigning a plurality of service levels to a plurality of applications; and computing the QOS parameter.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the subnet manager notifies a user if the requested configuration cannot be realized in the Infiniband fabric.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the subnet manager configures the switches and HCA's via a subnet manager administrator (SMA).

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein virtual fabrics requesting higher bandwidth are given more paths within the fabric.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein when computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition, the QOS parameter within links shared among a plurality of virtual fabrics is based on a bandwidth and a priority designated for each of the virtual fabrics.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein when computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition, a membership for a device in each partition is based on a membership of the device within a given one of a plurality of virtual fabrics.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform:

receiving one or more virtual fabric configuration parameters;

determining if a virtual fabric configuration of a virtual fabric within an Infiniband fabric based on the one or more virtual fabric configuration parameters can be implemented;

computing a quality of service (QOS) parameter, a routing and a partition such that the QOS parameter, routing and partitioning are interrelated, wherein computation of the QOS parameter is influenced by a bandwidth and a partition membership of each of a plurality of virtual fabrics;

configuring a plurality of switches and a plurality of host channel adapters (HCA's) within the virtual fabric based on the virtual fabric configuration; and

routing packets over the virtual fabric after the configuring.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition comprises:

assigning a plurality of partition keys;

assigning a plurality of servers to a plurality of partitions;

computing the routing;

assigning a plurality of switches to the partitions;

assigning a plurality of service levels to a plurality of applications; and

computing the QOS parameter.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the virtual fabric configuration is provided by an enhanced user interface.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the subnet manager notifies a user if the configuration cannot be realized in the IB fabric.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the subnet manager configures the switches and HCAs via a subnet manager administrator (SMA).

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein virtual fabrics requesting higher bandwidth are given more paths within the fabric.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein when computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition, the QOS parameter within links shared among a plurality of virtual fabrics is based on a bandwidth and a priority designated for each of the virtual fabrics.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein when computing the QOS parameter, the routing and the partition, a membership for a device in each partition is based on a membership of the device within a given one of a plurality of virtual fabrics.