# US 10,873,543 B2 · Fiber channel fabric login/logout system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,873,543 B2 - Document ID: US10873543B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/259,536 - Filed: 2019-01-28 - Published: 2020-07-30 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-28 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: Vibin Varghese; Ramesh Kumar Subbiah; Joseph LaSalle White - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873543B2 ## CPC - H04L 49/357: {Fibre channel switches} - H04L 41/0813: characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings - H04L 49/253: using establishment or release of connections between ports - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An FC fabric login/logout system includes an FC switch device coupled to an endpoint device by an intermediate FC fabric device. The intermediate FC fabric device receives a first FC fabric login from the endpoint device and, in response, performs FC fabric login operations to create an FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device, and stores FC fabric session information in hardware table(s). When the intermediate FC fabric device determines that an FC fabric session time period has passed, it ends the FC fabric session by clearing the FC fabric session information from the hardware table(s), and stores the FC fabric session information in software table(s). If the intermediate FC fabric device then receives a second FC fabric login from the endpoint device, it recreates the FC fabric session by transferring the FC fabric session information from the software table(s) to the hardware table(s). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A Fiber Channel (FC) fabric login/logout system, comprising: a Fiber Channel (FC) switch device; an endpoint device; and an intermediate FC fabric device that couples the FC switch device to the endpoint device, wherein the intermediate FC fabric device is configured to: receive, from the endpoint device, a first FC fabric login communication; perform, with the FC switch device in response to the first FC fabric login communication, FC fabric login operations that result in creation of an FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device and storage of FC fabric session information for the FC fabric session in at least one hardware table; determine that an FC fabric session time period for the FC fabric session has passed and, in response, end the FC fabric session by clearing the FC fabric session information from the at least one hardware table, and storing the FC fabric session information in at least one software table; receive, from the endpoint device subsequent to the ending of the FC fabric session, a second FC fabric login communication; and recreate, in response to the second FC fabric login communication, the FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device by transferring the FC fabric session information from the at least one software table to the at least one hardware table. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate FC fabric device is configured to: transmit, to the endpoint device in response to the first FC fabric login communication, an acknowledgement communication that includes the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate FC fabric device is configured to: transmit, to the endpoint device following the creation of the FC fabric session and prior to the passing of the FC fabric session time period, a warning communication that indicates that the FC fabric session time period has satisfied a predetermined condition of the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate FC fabric device is configured to: receive, from the endpoint device prior to the passing of the FC fabric session time period, a time extension communication; and extend, in response to the time extension communication, the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate FC fabric device is configured to: receive, from the FC switch device subsequent to the passing of the FC fabric session time period and prior to receiving the second FC fabric login communication, a host exchange communication; store the host exchange communication; and provide, following the recreation of the FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device, the host exchange communication to the endpoint device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first FC fabric login communication includes a voluntary logout capability indicator that indicates that the endpoint device is capable of voluntarily logging out of the FC fabric. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the FC switch device is configured to operate as if the FC fabric session exists following the ending of the FC fabric session and prior to the recreation of the FC fabric session. ### Claim 8 An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising: a processing system; and a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a login/logout engine that is configured to: receive, from an endpoint device, a first FC fabric login communication; perform, with an FC switch device in response to the first FC fabric login communication, FC fabric login operations that result in creation of an FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device and storage of FC fabric session information for the FC fabric session in at least one hardware table; determine that an FC fabric session time period for the FC fabric session has passed and, in response, end the FC fabric session by clearing the FC fabric session information from the at least one hardware table, and storing the FC fabric session information in at least one software table; receive, from the endpoint device subsequent to the ending of the FC fabric session information, a second FC fabric login communication; and recreate, in response to the second FC fabric login communication, the FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device by transferring the FC fabric session information from the at least one software table to the at least one hardware table. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The IHS of claim 8, wherein the login/logout engine is configured to: transmit, to the endpoint device in response to the first FC fabric login communication, an acknowledgement communication that includes the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The IHS of claim 8, wherein the login/logout engine is configured to: transmit, to the endpoint device following the creation of the FC fabric session and prior to the passing of the FC fabric session time period, a warning communication that indicates that the FC fabric session time period has satisfied a predetermined condition of the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The IHS of claim 8, wherein the login/logout engine is configured to: receive, from the endpoint device prior to the passing of the FC fabric session time period, a time extension communication; and extend, in response to the time extension communication, the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The IHS of claim 8, wherein the login/logout engine is configured to: receive, from the FC switch device subsequent to the passing of the FC fabric session time period and prior to receiving the second FC fabric login communication, a host exchange communication; store the host exchange communication; and provide, following the recreation of the FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device, the host exchange communication to the endpoint device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The IHS of claim 8, wherein the first FC fabric login communication includes a voluntary logout capability indicator that indicates that the endpoint device is capable of voluntarily logging out of the FC fabric. ### Claim 14 A method for providing for logging in and logging out of an FC fabric, comprising: receiving, by an intermediate Fiber Channel (FC) fabric device from an endpoint device, a first FC fabric login communication; performing, by the intermediate FC fabric device with an FC switch device in response to the first FC fabric login communication, FC fabric login operations that result in the creation of an FC fabric session between the endpoint device and FC switch device and storage of FC fabric session information for the FC fabric session in at least one hardware table; determining, by the intermediate FC fabric device, that an FC fabric session time period for the FC fabric session has passed and, in response, ending the FC fabric session by clearing the FC fabric session information from the at least one hardware table, and storing the FC fabric session information in at least one software table; receiving, by the intermediate FC fabric device from the endpoint device subsequent to the ending of the FC fabric session information, a second FC fabric login communication; and recreating, by the intermediate FC fabric device in response to the second FC fabric login communication, the FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device by transferring the FC fabric session information from the at least one software table to the at least one hardware table. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: transmitting, by the intermediate FC fabric device to the endpoint device in response to the first FC fabric login communication, an acknowledgement communication that includes the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: transmitting, by the intermediate FC fabric device to the endpoint device following the creation of the FC fabric session and prior to the passing of the FC fabric session time period, a warning communication that indicates that the FC fabric time period has satisfied a predetermined condition of the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving, by the intermediate FC fabric device from the endpoint device prior to the passing of the FC fabric session time period, a time extension communication; and extending, by the intermediate FC fabric device in response to the time extension communication, the FC fabric session time period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving, by the intermediate FC fabric device from the FC switch device subsequent to the passing of the FC fabric session time period and prior to receiving the second FC fabric login communication, a host exchange communication; storing, by the intermediate FC fabric device, the host exchange communication; and providing, by the intermediate FC fabric device following the recreation of the FC fabric session between the endpoint device and the FC switch device, the host exchange communication to the endpoint device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the first FC fabric login communication includes a voluntary logout capability indicator that indicates that the endpoint device is capable of voluntarily logging out of the FC fabric. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the FC switch device is configured to operate as if the FC fabric session exists following the ending of the FC fabric session and prior to the recreation of the FC fabric session.