Multifabric communication using a backbone fabric

A Fibre Channel network comprising:

• a first edge Fibre Channel fabric;
• a second edge Fibre Channel fabric;
• a first backbone Fibre Channel fabric;
• a second backbone Fibre Channel fabric;
• a first Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said first edge fabric and said first backbone fabric, said first Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said first edge fabric and said first backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said first Fibre Channel routing device;
• a second Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said second edge fabric and said second backbone fabric, said second Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said second edge fabric and said second backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said second Fibre Channel routing device;
• a third backbone Fibre Channel fabric;
• a third Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said first backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric, said third Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said first backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said third Fibre Channel routing device;
• and
• a fourth Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said second backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric, said fourth Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said second backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said fourth Fibre Channel routing device;
• wherein said first, second, third and fourth Fibre Channel routing devices allow messages to be exchanged between devices connected to the first edge Fibre Channel fabric and devices connected to the second edge Fibre Channel fabric across the first, second and third backbone Fibre Channel fabrics.

A network comprising:

• a first edge fabric;
• a second edge fabric;
• a backbone fabric, said first, second and backbone fabrics all having the same defined protocol;
• a first routing device physically connected to both said first edge fabric and said backbone fabric, said first routing device operating to not merge said first edge fabric and said backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said first routing device;
• and
• a second routing device physically connected to both said second edge fabric and said backbone fabric, said second routing device operating to not merge said second edge fabric and said backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said second routing device;
• wherein said first and second routing devices allow messages to be exchanged between devices connected to the first edge fabric and devices connected to the second edge fabric across the backbone fabric;
• and
• wherein said first, second and backbone fabrics would merge into a single fabric if connected together without said first and second routing devices.