Supplementary header for multifabric and high port count switch support in a fibre channel network

A network that comprises:

• a first switching circuit having two or more ports, at least one of which is configured to transmit and receive augmented FC frames;
• a second switching circuit having two or more ports, at least one of which is configured to transmit and receive augmented FC frames;
• and
• a communications path to transport augmented FC frames between said at least one port of the first and second switching circuit,
• wherein the augmented FC frames transported from the first switching circuit to the second switching circuit each include a supplementary header having routing information determined by the first switching circuit,
• wherein the second switching circuit routes the augmented FC frame based on the routing information in the supplementary header;
• and
• wherein the supplementary header includes an egress port identify an outgoing port of the second switching circuit.

A frame routing method in a system that includes at least two switching circuits, where the method comprises:

• receiving a FC frame at a first switching circuit;
• using a destination identifier from the FC frame to determine routing information associated with the FC frame;
• augmenting the FC frame with a supplementary header that includes at least some of the routing information;
• sending the augmented FC frame to the second switching circuit;
• and
• routing the augmented FC frame at the second switching circuit in accordance with the routing information in the supplementary header;
• wherein the routing information in the supplementary header includes an egress port identifier that identifies a switch port through which the augmented FC frame or an FC standard-compliant counterpart is to exit the second switching circuit.