Storage area network port based data transfer acceleration
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorVaragur Chandrasekaran
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Abstract
According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided for improving data transfers between hosts and targets connected through fiber channel switches. A host connected intelligent port and a target connected intelligent port associated with fiber channel edge switches are configured to snoop frames from the host and target and establish flows for acceleration. The host connected intelligent port and the target connect intelligent port preemptively respond to host and target transmissions to reduce data transfer latency.
Claims21
A storage area network device, comprising:
- a host intelligent port connected to a host configured to snoop a command frame from the host, the host intelligent port configured to determine flow information and support data transfer acceleration;
- and
- one or more processors configured to identify a flow between the host and a target based on the snooped command frame and determine that the target is associated with a target intelligent port that supports data transfer acceleration and has acceleration enabled, the target intelligent port associated with another storage area network device and the target intelligent port connected to the target;
- wherein the storage area network device is configured to enable acceleration between the host and the target by preemptively responding to the host with a transfer ready message when the host sends a data transfer request to the target.
A method for accelerating storage area network data transfers, the method comprising:
- at a host intelligent port associated with a storage area network edge switch, the host intelligent port connected to a host, snooping a command frame from the host, wherein the host intelligent port is configured to determine flow information and support data transfer acceleration;
- identifying a flow between the host and a target based on the snooped command frame;
- determining at the storage area network edge switch that the target is associated with a target intelligent port that supports data transfer acceleration and has acceleration enabled, the target intelligent port associated with another storage area network edge switch and the target intelligent port connected to the target;
- and
- enabling at the storage area network edge switch accelerated data transfer between the host and the target by preemptively responding to the host with a transfer ready message when the host sends a data transfer request to the target.
A system for accelerating storage area network data transfers, the system comprising:
- means for snooping a command frame from a host at a host intelligent port associated with a storage area network edge switch, the host intelligent port connected to the host, and the host intelligent port configured to determine flow information and support data transfer acceleration;
- means for identifying a flow between the host and a target based on the snooped command frame;
- means for determining at the storage area network edge switch that the target is associated with a target intelligent port that supports data transfer acceleration and has acceleration enabled, the target intelligent port associated with another storage area network edge switch and the target intelligent port connected to the target;
- and
- means for enabling at the storage area network edge switch accelerated data transfer between the host and the target by preemptively responding to the host with a transfer ready message when the host sends a data transfer request to the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.