Network storage target boot and network connectivity through a common network device
View Patent ↗The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to booting to a network storage target. In general, in one implementation, a bus-to-network device driver is loaded during a machine boot, where the bus-to-network device driver is capable of sending machine bus commands over a network, providing access to the network for a network device driver, and distinguishing between received responses to the machine bus commands and other network traffic corresponding to the network device driver. Loading of the bus-to-network device driver can occur in response to an operating system load of bus drivers. For example, the bus-to-network device driver can be an iSCSI driver, and the operating system load of bus drivers can be the operating system load of SCSI drivers.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first blade server element to be removably coupled to a second blade server element via a multiprocessor blade server;
the first blade server element being capable of operating as an iSCSI initiator to initiate a remote boot of an operating system (OS), using a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack that is independent of an OS TCP/IP stack, from an iSCSI boot target that is remote from the blade server;
the target to be viewed as local storage from a viewpoint of the blade server; and
the first blade server element being capable of being used, after booting of the OS, as a network interface for network traffic associated with a network connection associated with the TCP/IP stack that is independent of the OS.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
one or more of the blade server elements comprises a pipelined multiprocessor.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus includes a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server to assign iSCSI boot variables.
4. An apparatus comprising:
a first blade server element to be coupled to a second blade server element via a multiprocessor blade server;
the first blade server element comprising an adapter board and being capable of operating as an iSCSI initiator to initiate a remote boot, using a first transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack, of an operating system (OS) from an iSCSI boot target that is remote from the blade server;
the first blade server element being capable of being used, after booting of the OS, as a network interface for network traffic associated with a network connection associated with a second TCP/IP stack associated with the OS; and
the first blade server element being capable of maintaining communication with the target after ceasing of the network connection.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
one or more of the blade server elements comprises a pipelined multiprocessor.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the apparatus includes a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server to assign iSCSI boot variables.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the OS is to be employed in the blade server.
8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the blade server is to boot from the target without using a drive that is local to the blade server.
9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the target is to be viewed as local storage from a viewpoint of the blade server.
10. Non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more machines result in performance of operations comprising:
initiating by an iSCSI initiator a remote boot of an operating system (OS) from an iSCSI boot target that is remote from the initiator, the initiating using a first transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack;
using, after booting of the OS, as a network interface for network traffic associated with a network connection associated with a second TCP/IP stack associated with the OS; and
maintaining of communication with the target after ceasing of the network connection.
11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:
the OS is to be employed in a blade server.
12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:
the blade server is to boot from the target without using a drive that is local to the blade server.
13. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:
the target is to be viewed as local storage from a viewpoint of the blade server.
14. Non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more machines result in performance of operations comprising:
initiating by a first blade server element, as an iSCSI initiator, a remote boot of an operating system (OS), the first blade server element to be removably coupled to a second blade server element via a multiprocessor blade server, the initiating using a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack that is independent of an OS TCP/IP stack, the remote boot being from an iSCSI boot target that is remote from the blade server, the target to be viewed as local storage from a viewpoint of the blade server; and
using the first blade server element, after booting of the OS, as a network interface for network traffic associated with a network connection associated with the TCP/IP stack that is independent of the OS.
15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein:
one or more of the blade server elements comprises a pipelined multiprocessor.
16. The machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein:
the operations also comprise assigning iSCSI boot variables by a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server.
17. Non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more machines result in performance of operations comprising:
operating a first blade server element as an iSCSI initiator to initiate a remote boot, the first blade server element comprising an adapter board and to be coupled to a second blade server element via a multiprocessor blade server, the initiator to use a first transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack, the remote boot being of an operating system (OS) from an iSCSI boot target that is remote from the blade server;
using the first blade server element, after booting of the OS, as a network interface for network traffic associated with a network connection associated with a second TCP/IP stack associated with the OS; and
maintaining, by the first server element, communication with the target after ceasing of the network connection.
18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein:
one or more of the blade server elements comprises a pipelined multiprocessor.
19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein:
the operations include assigning, by a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, iSCSI boot variables.
20. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein:
the OS is to be employed in the blade server.
21. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein:
the blade server is to boot from the target without using a drive that is local to the blade server.
22. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein:
the target is to be viewed as local storage from a viewpoint of the blade server.
23. A method comprising:
initiating by an iSCSI initiator a remote boot of an operating system (OS) from an iSCSI boot target that is remote from the initiator, the initiating using a first transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack;
using, after booting of the OS, as a network interface for network traffic associated with a network connection associated with a second TCP/IP stack associated with the OS; and
maintaining of communication with the target after ceasing of the network connection.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein:
the OS is to be employed in a blade server.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein:
the blade server is to boot from the target without using a drive that is local to the blade server.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein:
the target is to be viewed as local storage from a viewpoint of the blade server.
27. A method comprising:
operating a first blade server element as an iSCSI initiator to initiate a remote boot, the first blade server element comprising an adapter board and to be coupled to a second blade server element via a multiprocessor blade server, the initiator to use a first transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack, the remote boot being of an operating system (OS) from an iSCSI boot target that is remote from the blade server;
using the first blade server element, after booting of the OS, as a network interface for network traffic associated with a network connection associated with a second TCP/IP stack associated with the OS; and
maintaining, by the first server element, communication with the target after ceasing of the network connection.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein:
one or more of the blade server elements comprises a pipelined multiprocessor.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein:
the operations include assigning, by a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, iSCSI boot variables.
30. The method of claim 27 , wherein:
the OS is to be employed in the blade server.
31. The method of claim 27 , wherein:
the blade server is to boot from the target without using a drive that is local to the blade server.
32. The method of claim 27 , wherein:
the target is to be viewed as local storage from a viewpoint of the blade server.