Logical transport over a fixed PCIE physical transport network

A method, comprising:

• receiving a first transaction layer packet via a data link layer and a physical layer of a physical transport network conforming to a first network protocol, wherein the first transaction layer packet conforms to the first network protocol and comprises:
• a header conforming to a second network protocol and compatible with the first network protocol, wherein the header comprises a vender defined message (VDM) indicating to logic conforming to the second network protocol how to process the first transaction layer packet,
• wherein the VDM comprises a message containing instructions to a destination device of the transaction layer packet to re-transmit the transaction layer packet to a different device capable of recognizing the second network protocol, wherein the first logical transaction layer is unaware of the re-transmission;
• extracting the first transaction layer packet from a first virtual channel located in the data link layer, in the physical layer, and in a first logical transaction layer of the physical transport network;
• assembling a second transaction layer packet that conforms to the second network protocol recognizable to a second logical transaction layer;
• and
• transferring the second transaction layer packet from the first virtual channel to the second logical transaction layer.

A system, comprising:

• a computer processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the computer processor, the computer processor configured to execute code located in the memory for:
• designating a first virtual channel of a plurality of virtual channels located in a first logical transaction layer of a physical transport network conforming to a first network protocol;
• assembling a transaction layer packet in a second logical transaction layer of a second network protocol, wherein the transaction layer packet conforms to the first network protocol and comprises a header conforming to the second network protocol and compatible with the first network protocol, wherein the header comprises a vender defined message (VDM) indicating to logic conforming to the second network protocol how to process the transaction layer packet,
• wherein the VDM comprises a message containing instructions to a destination device of the transaction layer packet to re-transmit the transaction layer packet to a different device capable of recognizing the second network protocol, wherein the first logical transaction layer is unaware of the re-transmission;
• transferring the transaction layer packet from the second logical transaction layer to the first virtual channel;
• and
• transmitting the transaction layer packet over a data link layer and a physical layer of the physical transport network using the virtual channel, the data link layer and the physical layer conforming to the first network protocol.