Dynamic port type detection

A system for dynamic port type detection, comprising:

• a network controller;
• a switch coupled to the network controller by a secure channel, the switch comprising a port coupled to a server by a link in a network;
• and
• the server configured to perform a method comprising:
• setting a default mode of operation for the link upon server initialization;
• setting a wait pulse repetition time;
• setting a number of supported modes of operation;
• setting a protocol identifier to the default mode of operation;
• transmitting a link initialization frame comprising the protocol identifier to the port of the switch of the network;
• based on fading to receive a handshake response to acknowledge successful decoding of the protocol identifier from the switch prior to expiration of the wait pulse repetition time:
• changing the protocol identifier to a next mode of operation selected from the supported modes of operation;
• resetting the wait pulse repetition time;
• transmitting the link initialization frame to the port of the switch;
• and
• repeating the changing of the protocol identifier, the resetting of the wait pulse repetition time, and the transmitting of the link initialization frame until the handshake response is received or all of the number of supported modes of operation are checked.

A computer program product for dynamic port type detection, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
• setting a default mode of operation for a link at a server upon server initialization;
• setting a wait pulse repetition time at the server;
• setting a number of supported modes of operation at the server;
• setting a protocol identifier to the default mode of operation;
• transmitting a link initialization frame comprising the protocol identifier to a port of a switch of a network;
• based on failing to receive at the server a handshake response to acknowledge successful decoding of the protocol identifier from the switch prior to expiration of the wait pulse repetition time:
• changing the protocol identifier to a next mode of operation selected from the supported modes of operation;
• resetting the wait pulse repetition time;
• transmitting the link initialization frame to the port of the switch;
• and
• repeating the changing of the protocol identifier, the resetting of the wait pulse repetition time, and the transmitting of the link initialization frame until the handshake response is received or all of the number of supported modes of operation are checked.