Gid capable switching in an infiniband fabric
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorMark S. Hefty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus for extending the size of Infiniband subnets using GID switching in an Infiniband fabric. An Infiniband subnet is defined to include multiple local identifier (LID) domains, each including multiple nodes interconnected via one or more LID switches. In turn, the LID domains are interconnected via one or more GID switches. Messages may be transferred between nodes in a given LID domain using LID switches in the domain. Messages may be transferred between nodes in separate LID domains by routing the messages via one or more GID switches. In various embodiments, GID switches may be implemented to also operate as LID switches and perform routing based on selected packet header fields.
Claims20
An Infiniband subnet, comprising:
- a plurality of Infiniband Local Identifier (LID) domains, each LID domain including a plurality of nodes interconnected in communication with other nodes in the LID domain via at least one LID switch;
- and
- at least one Infiniband Global Identifier (GID) switch, each GID switch connected in communication with at least one LID switch in each of at least two LID domains,
- wherein the LID switches and the at least one GID switch are configured to route messages between the plurality of nodes such that communications between nodes within a LID domain employ at least one LID switch and communications between nodes in different LID domains employ at least two LID switches and at least one GID switch.
The Infiniband subnet of wherein a GID switch further includes an LID switch routing table having a plurality of fields including a Destination LID (DLID) field and a port field, wherein packets are routed via a GID switch by inspecting a packet DLID and routing the packet to a corresponding port defined for a LID routing table entry having a DLID value or DLID range corresponding to the packet DLID or routing the packet through further use of the GID switch routing table if the LID routing table entry has a DLID value indicating GID switching is to be performed.
A Global Identifier (GID) switch, comprising:
- packet routing logic operable to enable the GID switch to perform GID switching operations when implemented in an Infiniband subnet including a plurality of Local Identifier (LID) domains, each LID domain including a plurality of nodes interconnected in communication with other nodes in the LID domain via at least one LID switch;
- and
- first and second ports configured to support routing of packets between the GID switch and first and second LID switches.
A method comprising:
- implementing an Infiniband subnet comprising a plurality of local identifier (LID) domains linked in communication via at least one global identifier (GID switch), each LID domain including a plurality of nodes interconnected in communication via at least one LID switch;
- routing messages between nodes within a given LID domain using at least one LID switch implemented in that domain;
- and
- routing messages between nodes in first and second LID domains using a respective LID switch in each of the first and second LID domains and at least one GID switch located outside of the first and second LID domains.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.