System and method for network interfacing
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsUri Elzur, Frankie Fan, Steven B. Lindsay, Scott S. McDaniel
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Abstract
Systems and methods that network interface are provided. In one embodiment, a data center may be provided that may include, for example, a first tier, a second tier and a third tier. The first tier may include, for example, a first server. The second tier may include, for example, a second server. The third tier may include, for example, a third server. At least one of the first server, the second server and the third server may handle a plurality of different traffic types over a single fabric.
Claims11
A network communication system, comprising:
- a single integrated convergent network controller (ICNC) chip;
- and
- a single Ethernet connector for handling a plurality of layer 2/layer 4/layer 5 (L2/L4/L5) types of network traffic transported via a single fabric, wherein:
- the single Ethernet connector is coupled to the single ICNC chip;
- the single fabric is a physical link coupled to a plurality of servers;
- the single ICNC chip comprises an L2/L4/L5 adapter operable to process the plurality of L2/L4/L5 types of network traffic for the plurality of servers, wherein the plurality of L2/L4/L5 types of network traffic comprise:
- network traffic, storage traffic, interprocess communication (IPC) traffic and cluster traffic, which are transported via the single fabric, wherein the network traffic comprises Internet or Ethernet traffic, and wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from storage devices accessible via a network.
A method for communication, the method comprising:
- in a data center:
- accessing a storage system over a single fabric, wherein said single fabric is a physical link comprises a single layer 2 (L2) connector coupled to a single integrated convergent network controller (ICNC) chip, wherein:
- the ICNC chip comprises an L2/L4/L5 adapter operable to process a plurality of layer 2/layer 4/layer 5 (L2/L4/L5) types of traffic, wherein the plurality of L2/L4/L5 types of network traffic comprise:
- network traffic, storage traffic, interprocess communication (IPC) traffic and cluster traffic;
- and
- accessing one or more of a cluster and a network over said single fabric, wherein the network traffic comprises Internet or Ethernet traffic, and wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from storage devices accessible via a network.
A system for communication, the system comprising:
- a single integrated convergent network controller (ICNC) chip, said ICNC chip comprises an L2/L4/L5 adapter that enables processing functionalities of a plurality of layer 2/layer 4/layer 5 (L2/L4/L5) types of traffic that are received via a single layer 2 (L2) connector that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of servers via a single physical link fabric, wherein the plurality of L2/L4/L5 types of network traffic comprise:
- network traffic, storage traffic, interprocess communication (IPC) traffic and cluster traffic, wherein the network traffic comprises Internet or Ethernet traffic, and wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from storage devices accessible via a network.
A method for communication, the method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of layer 2/layer 4/layer 5 (L2/L4/L5) types of traffic at a single layer 2 (L2) connector that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of servers via a single physical link fabric;
- and
- processing the plurality of L2/L4/L5 types of traffic for the plurality of servers via a single integrated convergent network controller (ICNC) chip, said ICNC chip comprises an L2/L4/L5 adapter that enables processing functionalities of the plurality of,
- wherein the plurality of L2/L4/L5 types of network traffic comprise:
- network traffic, storage traffic, interprocess communication (IPC) traffic and cluster traffic, wherein the network traffic comprises Internet or Ethernet traffic, and wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from storage devices accessible via a network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.