US 8,559,335 B2Granted

Methods for creating virtual links between fibre channel over ethernet nodes for converged network adapters

AssigneeJeda Networks, Inc.

InventorStuart B. Berman

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Abstract

Methods are provided for creating virtual links between Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) nodes. FIP Discovery Advertisement frames are received from multiple FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA). The FIP Discovery Advertisement frames comprises source Ethernet MAC addresses, a destination Ethernet MAC address of All-ENode-MACs, Fabric FIP descriptor, and a Priority FIP descriptor. A list is stored of one or more of the source Ethernet MAC address, FIP Priority descriptor, and FIP Fabric descriptor for each unique FIP Discovery Advertisement frame received as indicated by the Fabric descriptor. The Name Server is queried for each source Ethernet MAC address in said storage. For all FCoE devices that match in more that one Name Server, connect to those FCoE devices using the highest priority Ethernet MAC address from matching list items.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method of creating virtual links between Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) nodes, comprising:

receiving Fibre Channel Initialization Protocol (FIP) Discovery Advertisement frames from multiple FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA), the FIP Discovery Advertisement frames comprising source Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) addresses, a destination Ethernet MAC address of All-ENode-MACs, Fabric FIP descriptor, and a Priority FIP descriptor,
storing a list of one or more of the source Ethernet MAC address, Priority FIP descriptor, and Fabric FIP descriptor for each unique FIP Discovery Advertisement frame received as indicated by the Fabric descriptor,
querying at least one Name Server for each source Ethernet MAC address in said list, and
for all FCoE devices that match in more than that one Name Server, connect to those FCoE devices using an Ethernet MAC address having a highest priority from matching list items.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/987,076Filed 7 Jan 2011
Published: US 2012/0177039 A112 Jul 2012
Granted: 15 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04L 45/66
Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks: layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
H04L 45/74
Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks: address processing for routing
H04L 49/354
Switches specially adapted for specific applications: for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]
H04L 61/4511
Using standardised directories; using standardised directory access protocols: using domain name system [DNS]