Ethernet storage area network system

An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

• a communication system;
• at least one database;
• an Ethernet processing system coupled to the communication system and the at least one database;
• and
• a memory system including instructions that, when executed by the Ethernet processing system, causes the Ethernet processing system to provide a storage fabric engine that is configured to:
• create a first layer-2 (L2) Fabric Initiation Protocol (FIP) domain exchange multicast frame that includes first domain information and transmit the first L2 FIP domain exchange multicast frame through the communication system to a plurality of Ethernet switch devices;
• receive a plurality of second L2 FIP domain exchange multicast frames through the communication system that include second domain information associated with the plurality of Ethernet switch devices;
• create a first L2 FIP path exchange multicast frame that includes first path information and transmit the first L2 FIP path exchange multicast frame through the communication system to the plurality of Ethernet switch devices, wherein the first L2 FIP path exchange multicast frame is transmitted based on the second domain information associated with the plurality of Ethernet switch devices;
• receive a plurality of second L2 FIP path exchange multicast frames through the communication system that include second path information associated with the plurality of Ethernet switch devices;
• calculate path costs based on the second path information associated with at least some of the plurality of Ethernet switch devices;
• create a first L2 FIP device exchange unicast frame that includes first device information associated with a first device connected to the communication system and transmit the first L2 FIP device exchange unicast frame through the communication system to the plurality of Ethernet switch devices, wherein the first L2 FIP device exchange unicast frame is transmitted based on the path costs;
• receive a plurality of second L2 FIP device exchange unicast frames through the communication system that include second device information associated with a second device connected to at one of the plurality of Ethernet switch devices;
• and
• transmit data between the first device and the second device through the communication system based on the second device information and the path costs.

A method for providing an Ethernet Storage Area Network (SAN), comprising:

• creating, by a first Ethernet switch device, a first layer-2 (L2) Fabric Initiation Protocol (FIP) domain exchange multicast frame that includes first domain information and transmitting the first L2 FIP domain exchange multicast frame to a plurality of second Ethernet switch devices;
• receiving, by the first Ethernet switch device, a plurality of second L2 FIP domain exchange multicast frames that include second domain information associated with the plurality of second Ethernet switch devices;
• creating, by the first Ethernet switch device, a first L2 FIP path exchange multicast frame that includes first path information and transmitting the first L2 FIP path exchange multicast frame to the plurality of second Ethernet switch devices, wherein the first L2 FIP path exchange multicast frame is transmitted based on the second domain information associated with the plurality of second Ethernet switch devices;
• receiving, by the first Ethernet switch device, a plurality of second L2 FIP path exchange multicast frames that include second path information associated with the plurality of second Ethernet switch devices;
• calculating, by the first Ethernet switch device, path costs based on the second path information associated with at least some of the plurality of second Ethernet switch devices;
• creating, by the first Ethernet switch device, a first L2 FIP device exchange unicast frame that includes first device information associated with a first device connected to the first Ethernet switch device and transmitting the first L2 FIP device exchange unicast frame to the plurality of second Ethernet switch devices, wherein the first L2 FIP device exchange unicast frame is transmitted based on the path costs;
• receiving, by the first Ethernet switch device, a plurality of second L2 FIP device exchange unicast frames that include second device information associated with a second device connected to at one of the plurality of second Ethernet switch devices;
• and
• transmitting, by the first Ethernet switch device, data between the first device and the second device based on the second device information and the path costs.