Combined FCoE network device

A device for processing incoming Ethernet communications, the device being connected to

• one or more source devices,
• an Ethernet network, and
• a Fibre channel (FC) network, the device comprising:
• an aggregator configured to receive a set of Ethernet communications from the one or more source devices, send the set of Ethernet communications to the Ethernet network and to a filter;
• the filter configured to receive the set of Ethernet communications from the aggregator, select a first set of FCoE communications from the set of Ethernet communications, and send the first set of FCoE communications to a gateway;
• and
• the gateway configured to receive the first set of FCoE communications from the filter;
• convert the first set of FCoE communications into a set of FC communications, send the FC communications to the FC network;
• receive a second set of FC communications from the FC network, convert the second set of FC communications into the second set of FCoE communications, and forward the second set of FCoE communications to the aggregator to be forwarded by the aggregator to the one or more source devices.

A device for processing incoming Ethernet communications, comprising:

• an aggregator connected to one or more source devices, an Ethernet network, and a filter and configured to receive a set of Ethernet communications from the one or more source devices, and send the entire set of Ethernet communications to the Ethernet network and the filter;
• the filter connected to the aggregator and a gateway and configured to receive the set of Ethernet communications, and forward a set of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) communications to the gateway, the set of FCoE communications being a subset of the set of Ethernet communications;
• and
• a gateway connected to the filter and a Fibre Channel (FC) network and configured to receive the set of FCoE communications, convert the set of FCoE communications into a set of FC communications, send the set of FC communications to the FC network, receive a second set of FC communications from the FC network, convert the second set of FC communications into a second set of FCoE communications, and forward the second set of FCoE communications to the aggregator to be forwarded to the one or more source devices.

A blade enclosure comprising a plurality of blade servers and a device for processing incoming Ethernet communications, comprising:

• an aggregator connected to the plurality of blade servers, an Ethernet network, and a filter and configured to receive a set of Ethernet communications from the plurality of blade servers, and send the entire set of Ethernet communications to the Ethernet network and the filter;
• the filter connected to the aggregator and a gateway and configured to receive the set of Ethernet communications, and forward a set of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) communications to the gateway, the set of FCoE communications being a subset of the set of Ethernet communications;
• and
• a gateway connected to the filter and a Fibre Channel (FC) network and configured to receive the set of FCoE communications, convert the set of FCoE communications into a set of FC communications, send the set of FC communications to the FC network, receive a second set of FC communications from the FC network, convert the second set of FC communications into a second set of FCoE communications, and forward the second set of FCoE communications to the aggregator to be forwarded to the one or more source devices.

A method for processing a set of communications of a first protocol, comprising:

• receiving the set of communications of the first protocol;
• sending a first set of communications from the set of communications of the first protocol to a network of the first protocol;
• converting a second set of communications from the set of communications of the first protocol into a third set of communications of a second protocol;
• sending the third set of communications to a network of the second protocol;
• receiving from the network a fourth set of communications of the second protocol;
• converting the fourth set of communications into a fifth set of communications of the first protocol;
• and
• sending the fifth set of communications to one or more devices,
• wherein the entire method is performed at a single device including an aggregator, a filter and a gateway,
• wherein the second and fifth sets of communications include includes communications of a third protocol, the third protocol being compatible with the first protocol and being effective to tunnel communications of the second protocol over the first protocol, and
• wherein the first set of communications does not include communications of the third protocol.

A device for processing incoming communications of a first protocol, the device being connected to

• one or more source devices,
• a network of the first protocol, and
• a network, of a second protocol, the device comprising:
• an aggregator configured to receive a set of communications in the first protocol from the one or more source devices, and send the set of communications in the first protocol to the network of the first protocol and to a filter;
• the filter configured to receive the set communications of the first protocol from the aggregator, select a set communications in a third protocol from the set of communications of the first protocol, and send the set of communications in the third protocol to a gateway;
• and
• the gateway configured to receive the set of communications in the third protocol from the filter, convert the set of communications in the third protocol into a set of communications in the second protocol, send the communications in the second protocol to the network of the second protocol, receive a second set of communications of the second protocol from the network of the second protocol, convert the second set of communications of the second protocol into a second set of communications of the third protocol, and forward the second set of communications of the third protocol to the aggregator to be forwarded to the one or more source devices,
• wherein the third protocol is compatible with the first protocol and is effective to tunnel communications of the second protocol over the first protocol.