Fibre channel processing by a host channel adapter
AssigneeMellanox Technologies, Ltd.
InventorsMichael Kagan, Ido Bukspan, Dror Goldenberg, Itamar Rabenstein, Hillel Chapman, Ariel Shachar, Diego Crupnicoff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for data storage includes mapping a queue pair (QP) of a channel adapter to a specified Fiber Channel (FC) exchange for communication with a storage device. Upon receiving at the channel adapter from a host computer a storage command directed to the storage device, the storage command is executed by transmitting data packets over a switched network from the channel adapter to the storage device using the specified exchange and performing a remote direct memory access (RDMA) operation on the channel adapter using the mapped QP.
Claims18
A method for data storage, comprising:
- allocating a plurality of queue pairs (QPs) of a channel adapter for Fibre Channel (FC) communication with a storage device;
- mapping one of the QPs in the plurality to each FC exchange to be used by the channel adapter in communicating with the storage device;
- receiving at the channel adapter from a host computer a storage command directed to the storage device;
- and
- executing the storage command by transmitting data packets over a switched network from the channel adapter to the storage device using a specified FC exchange and performing a remote direct memory access (RDMA) operation on the channel adapter using the mapped QP.
A channel adapter, comprising:
- a network interface, which is configured to communicate with a switched network;
- and
- channel adapter hardware, which is configured to allocate a plurality of queue pairs (QPs) of the channel adapter for Fibre Channel (FC) communication with a storage device, and to map one of the queue pairs in the plurality is selected to correspond to each FC exchange to be used by the channel adapter in communicating with the storage device, and to receive from a client computer a storage command directed to the storage device, and to execute the storage command by transmitting data packets over the switched network to the storage device using a specified FC exchange and performing a remote direct memory access (RDMA) operation using the mapped QP to convey data between the network and a memory of the client computer.
Apparatus for data storage, comprising:
- a host processor;
- a memory, coupled to the host processor;
- and
- a channel adapter, which is coupled to accept a mapping of a queue pair (QP) of the channel adapter to a specified Fibre Channel (FC) exchange for communication with a storage device, to receive from the host processor a storage command directed to the storage device, and to execute the storage command by transmitting data packets over a switched network to the storage device using the specified FC exchange and performing a remote direct memory access (RDMA) operation using the mapped QP to convey data between the network and the memory,
- wherein driver software running on the host processor is configured to allocate a plurality of queue pairs for FC communications, and to select one of the queue pairs in the plurality to correspond to each FC exchange to be used by the channel adapter in communicating with the storage device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.