Methods, systems and apparatus for the control of interconnection of fibre channel over ethernet devices
AssigneeJeda Networks, Inc.
InventorStuart B. Berman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, apparatus and methods are provided for interconnection of one or more Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) devices. The system preferably comprises a virtualized or virtual server which in turn comprises a virtual machine having an FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller, a virtual switch, the virtual switch being coupled to the FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller, and a network interface. The network interface is coupled to the virtual switch, which in turn couples to an Ethernet fabric. A first Ethernet link couples the network interface to the Ethernet fabric. One or more Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) devices are coupled to the Ethernet fabric via Ethernet links.
Claims19
A system for interconnection of one or more Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) devices, the system comprising:
- a virtual server, the virtual server comprising:
- a virtual machine comprising an FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC),
- a virtual switch, the virtual switch being coupled to the FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller, and
- a network interface, the network interface being coupled to the virtual switch, an Ethernet fabric,
- a first Ethernet link, the first Ethernet link coupling the network interface to the Ethernet fabric,
- a first Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device,
- a second Ethernet link, the second Ethernet link coupling the first Fibre Channel over Ethernet device to the Ethernet fabric,
- a second Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device, and
- a third Ethernet link, the third Ethernet link coupling the second Fibre Channel over Ethernet device to the Ethernet fabric.
The apparatus in claim wherein one or more of the FCoE devices is a storage array.
A method for interconnection of one or more Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) devices including at least a first FCoE device and a second FCoE device through an Ethernet fabric having at least a first Ethernet link, a second Ethernet link and a third Ethernet link comprising the steps of:
- providing a virtual server, the virtual server comprising:
- a virtual machine comprising an FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC),
- a virtual switch, the virtual switch being coupled to the FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller, and
- a network interface, the network interface being coupled to the virtual switch,
- coupling the network interface to the Ethernet fabric via the first Ethernet link,
- coupling the first Fibre Channel over Ethernet device to the Ethernet fabric via the second Ethernet link;
- coupling the second Fibre Channel over Ethernet device to the Ethernet fabric via the third Ethernet link;
- whereby the FIAC sends one or more of the following FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) frames to the attached FCoE devices:
- FTP Discovery Advertisement multicast, HP Discovery Advertisement unicast, FTP WAN response, FIP FCoE accept FLOGI LS_ACC to a FTP FLOGI Request frame.
A method for interconnection of one or more Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) devices under control of a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC) virtual machine coupled to an Ethernet fabric, comprising the steps of:
- multicasting, by the FIAC virtual machine, a HP Discovery Advertisement frame over the Ethernet fabric to the one or more FCoE devices,
- receiving the HP Discovery Advertisement frame at the one or more FCoE devices,
- responding from the one or more of the FCoE devices to the FIAC virtual machine with a FIP Discovery Solicitation frame, and responds with a FIP Discovery Advertisement unicast frame to a first FCoE device which sent the FIP Discovery Solicitation frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.