System and method for supporting subnet number aliasing in a high performance computing environment

1. A method for supporting subnet number aliasing in a high performance computing environment, comprising:

providing, at one or more computers, including one or more microprocessors

a network fabric, the network fabric comprising

a first subnet, the first subnet comprising a first set of network switches;

a second subnet, the second subnet comprising a second set of network switches; and

a global fabric manager, the global fabric manager having administrative control within the first subnet and second subnet;

assigning, by the global fabric manager, a first fabric local subnet number (FLSN) to the first subnet and a second FLSN to the second subnet, wherein the first FLSN and the second FLSN are different;

monitoring, by the global fabric manager, the network fabric;

based upon the monitoring, reconfiguring the network fabric, said reconfiguring comprising merging the second subnet into the first subnet; and

upon reconfiguring the network fabric, assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time, wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias second FLSN to the first subnet for a period of time, wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the merger of the second subnet into the first subnet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein reconfiguring the network fabric comprises splitting the first subnet into the first subnet and a third subnet, wherein a third FLSN is assigned by the global fabric manager to the third subnet; and

wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias first FLSN to the third subnet for a period of time.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the splitting of the first subnet into the first subnet and the third subnet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein reconfiguring the network fabric comprises migrating a virtual machine, running on the second subnet, to the first subnet; and

wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias second FLSN to the first subnet for a period of time.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the migration of the virtual machine from the second subnet to the first subnet.

6. A system for supporting subnet number aliasing in a high performance computing environment, the system comprising:

a computer environment comprising:

a network fabric, the network fabric comprising

a first subnet, the first subnet comprising a first set of network switches;

a second subnet, the second subnet comprising a second set of network switches; and

a global fabric manager, the global fabric manager having administrative control within the first subnet and second subnet;

wherein the global fabric manager assigns a first fabric local subnet number (FLSN) to the first subnet and a second FLSN to the second subnet, wherein the first FLSN and the second FLSN are different;

wherein the global fabric manager monitors the network fabric;

wherein, based upon the monitoring, the global fabric manager reconfigures the network fabric by merging the second subnet into the first subnet; and

wherein upon reconfiguring the network fabric, the global fabric manager assigns at least one alias FLSN for a period of time, wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias second FLSN to the first subnet for a period of time, wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the merger of the second subnet into the first subnet.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein reconfiguring the network fabric comprises splitting the first subnet into the first subnet and a third subnet, wherein a third FLSN is assigned by the global fabric manager to the third subnet; and

wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias first FLSN to the third subnet for a period of time.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the splitting of the first subnet into the first subnet and the third subnet.

9. The system of 6 , wherein reconfiguring the network fabric comprises migrating a virtual machine, running on the second subnet, to the first subnet; and

wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias second FLSN to the first subnet for a period of time.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the migration of the virtual machine from the second subnet to the first subnet.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium, including instructions stored thereon for supporting subnet number aliasing in a high performance computing environment, which when read and executed by one or more computers caused the one or more computers to perform steps comprising:

providing, at one or more computers, including one or more microprocessors

a network fabric, the network fabric comprising

a first subnet, the first subnet comprising a first set of network switches;

a second subnet, the second subnet comprising a second set of network switches; and

a global fabric manager, the global fabric manager having administrative control within the first subnet and second subnet;

assigning, by the global fabric manager, a first fabric local subnet number (FLSN) to the first subnet and a second FLSN to the second subnet, wherein the first FLSN and the second FLSN are different;

monitoring, by the global fabric manager, the network fabric;

based upon the monitoring, reconfiguring the network fabric, said reconfiguring comprising merging the second subnet into the first subnet; and

upon reconfiguring the network fabric, assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time, wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias second FLSN to the first subnet for a period of time, wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the merger of the second subnet into the first subnet.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein reconfiguring the network fabric comprises splitting the first subnet into the first subnet and a third subnet, wherein a third FLSN is assigned by the global fabric manager to the third subnet; and

wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias first FLSN to the third subnet for a period of time.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the period of time is determined by the global fabric manager, the determination being based upon a route recalculation time of the network fabric based upon the splitting of the first subnet into the first subnet and the third subnet.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein reconfiguring the network fabric comprises migrating a virtual machine, running on the second subnet, to the first subnet; and

wherein assigning at least one alias FLSN for a period of time comprises assigning an alias second FLSN to the first subnet for a period of time.