Inter-Fabric Routing

A routing device, comprising:

• a switch configured to direct a frame from a first fabric to a second fabric, the frame comprising a source ID corresponding to a first physical port address of a first physical device and a destination ID corresponding to a first proxy address of a first proxy device, the first physical port address and the first proxy address being first fabric addresses;
• and
• routing logic configured to translate the destination ID to a second physical port address of a second physical device and the source ID to a second proxy address of a second proxy device, the second physical port address and the second proxy address being second fabric addresses;
• wherein the frame is a link service frame comprising a port address in a payload and said routing logic further identifies the frame as needing software processing by examining a header and a command code in the frame, the software processing comprising translating the port address in the payload.

A routing device, comprising:

• a processor that performs software processing;
• and
• a module;
• wherein the module translates a destination ID within a received frame from that of a first proxy address of a first proxy device to that of a second physical port address of a second physical device and a source ID from that of a first physical port address of a first physical device to that of a second proxy address of a second proxy device, the first physical port address and the first proxy address being first fabric addresses and the second physical port address and the second proxy address being second fabric addresses;
• and the module further identifying the frame as needing software processing by examining a header and a command code in the frame, the frame further comprising a port address in a payload, and the software processing comprising translating the port address in the payload.

A method, comprising:

• identifying a first frame as a link service frame comprising a port address in a payload;
• storing the source ID and an exchange ID of the first frame;
• and
• identifying a second frame as a link services reply and translating a port address within a data payload of the second frame, if the destination ID and the exchange ID within the second frame respectively match the stored source ID and the stored exchange ID.