# US 2014/0192812 A1 · Methods, systems and apparatus for the interconnection of fibre channel over ethernet devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192812 A1 - Document ID: US20140192812A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/147,900 - Filed: 2014-01-06 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-01-07 - Assignees: Jeda Networks, Inc. - Applicants: Jeda Networks, Inc. - Inventors: STUART B. BERMAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192812A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/74: Address processing for routing - H04L 12/46: Interconnection of networks - H04L 12/4625: {Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge} - H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)} - H04L 49/357: {Fibre channel switches} - H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] - H04L 69/22: Parsing or analysis of headers - H04L 2101/645: Fibre channel identifiers - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Methods, apparatus and systems are provided for forwarding Fibre Channel Initialization Protocol (FIP) frames and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frames by a FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA) and with a Fibre Channel over Ethernet device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). An FCoE frame received by the FIA from the FCoE device includes at least destination and source Ethernet MAC address fields which are replaced, such as where the destination Ethernet MAC address is replaced by the MAC address assigned to a remote FCoE device, such as the desired end port. The frame is forwarded to the destination FCoE device. Preferably, first and second ports are coupled to the connectivity apparatus, which are then coupled to first and second FCoE devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for forwarding Fibre Channel Initialization Protocol (FIP) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frames by a FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA) and with a Fibre Channel over Ethernet device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC), the method comprising: receiving a FIP frame from a FCoE device by a FIA, the FIP frame comprising destination Ethernet MAC address and source Ethernet MAC address fields, forwarding the said received FIP frame to a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC) over an Ethernet link, receiving a FCoE frame by a FIA from a FCoE device, the frame including destination Ethernet MAC address and source Ethernet MAC address fields, replacing the destination Ethernet MAC address of the received FCoE frame, replacing the source Ethernet MAC address of the received FCoE frame, and forwarding the frame to the destination FCoE device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the destination Ethernet MAC address of the said received FCoE frame is replaced by the MAC address assigned to the remote FCoE device VN_Port, the FCoE device VN_Port identified by the Fibre Channel destination address identifier in the FCoE frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the replaced source Ethernet MAC address of the said received FCoE frame is the FCF-MAC address of a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the destination Ethernet MAC address in the said received FCoE frame is the FCF-MAC address of the FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the destination Ethernet MAC address in the said received FIP frame is the FCF-MAC address of the FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the FIA comprises one or more of the following: an Ethernet Switch, an Ethernet Bridge, a Virtual Switch, a switch embedded in a Server, a switch embedded in a Storage System, and a switch embedded in a Converged Network Adapter (CNA). ### Claim 7 An apparatus for interconnecting a plurality of ports for forwarding received Fibre Channel Initialization (FIP) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frames between the ports, the apparatus comprising: a first port adapted to transmit and receive FIP and FCoE frames, a second port adapted to transmit and receive FIP and FCoE frames, a connectivity apparatus, the connectivity apparatus disposed between and coupled to the first port and the second port, the connectivity apparatus forwarding frames between ports, a destination Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus, a source Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus, a Ethernet Type field match apparatus, storage, the storage containing the FCF-MAC address from a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller, and a frame processing apparatus, the frame processing apparatus configured to identify certain FCoE frames and signal the destination and source Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus to replace the source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses in the incoming frame, the frame processing apparatus further configured to identify FIP frames and forward the frames to the connectivity apparatus to be forwarded out an egress port. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 further including incoming frame field matching storage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the field matching storage utilizes one or more of the following: Fibre Channel address identifiers, MAC addresses, VLAN Identifiers, egress port, egress port group. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the source Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus replaces the incoming frame source Ethernet MAC address with the MAC address in said storage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the said frame processing apparatus is configured to forward FCoE frames containing Fibre Channel Fabric Services destination address identifiers to the connectivity apparatus with the original source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses in the said received FCoE frame. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the frame processing apparatus forwards FIP frames with the destination Ethernet MAC address comprising one or more of the following: All-ENode-MACs and All-FCF-MACs MAC addresses. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 further including a third port, the said third port adapted to transmit and receive Fibre Channel frames, encapsulate Fibre Channel frames to FCoE frames before forwarding to the connectivity apparatus and decapsulate FCoE frames to Fibre Channel frames for frames received from the connectivity apparatus. ### Claim 14 A system for interconnecting (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) FCoE devices, comprising: a first FCoE device, a second FCoE device, a FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA), comprising: a first port adapted to transmit and receive Fibre Channel Initialization Protocol (FIP) and FCoE frames, the said first FCoE device is coupled to the said first port of the FIA, a second port adapted to transmit and receive FIP and FCoE frames, the said second FCoE device is coupled to the said second port of the FIA, a third port adapted to transmit and receive FIP, FCoE, and IP frames, a connectivity apparatus, the connectivity apparatus disposed between and coupled to the first, second and third ports, the connectivity apparatus forwarding Ethernet frames, a source Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus, a destination Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus, and a frame processing apparatus, the frame processing apparatus configured to identify FIP frames and forward the frames to the connectivity apparatus with the original source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses, identify FCoE frames and signal the source and destination Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus to replace the source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses, and a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC) including a first port adapted to transmit and receive FIP, FCoE and IP frames, and the said first port of the FIAC is coupled to the said third port of the FIA. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the source Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus replaces the source Ethernet MAC address of incoming FCoE frames with the Ethernet FCF-MAC address of the FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein a FIP frame is matched by the frame processing apparatus in the FIA, forwarded to the FIAC with the original source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses, the FIAC receiving and processing the said FIP frame. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein a FCoE frame with an embedded Fibre Channel destination identifier of a Fabric Controller is matched by the frame processing apparatus in the FIA, the frame forwarded to the FIAC with the original source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses, the FIAC receiving and processing the said FCoE frame. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein a FCoE frame is matched by the frame processing apparatus in the FIA, the source Ethernet MAC address replaced by the source Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus, the destination Ethernet MAC address replaced by the destination Ethernet MAC address replacement apparatus, the resulting FCoE frame transmitted out said second port to the said second FCoE device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the FIA further includes a fourth port, the fourth port adapted to transmit and receive Fibre Channel frames, the fourth port coupled to the connectivity apparatus, a Fibre Channel device, the Fibre Channel device coupled to the said fourth port. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the FIA further includes a fourth and fifth port, the fourth and fifth ports adapted to transmit and receive Fibre Channel frames and coupled to the connectivity apparatus.