Methods, systems and apparatus for the servicing of fibre channel login frames
AssigneeJeda Networks, Inc.
InventorStuart B. Berman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, apparatus and systems are provided for processing Fiber Channel Fabric Login frames by a FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA) and a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). A Fabric Login (FLOGI) Fiber Channel frame is encapsulated into a Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) FIP FLOGI frame at a Fiber Channel device interconnection apparatus (FIA). The encapsulated frame is transmitted from the FIA to a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). A FIP link service accept (LS_ACC) frame is transmitted by the FIAC to the FIA, and the FIP LS_ACC frame is received by the FIA. The FIP frame is decapsulated into a Fiber Channel LS_ACC frame at the FIA. The Fiber Channel LS_ACC frame is transmitted back to the said Fiber Channel device.
Claims20
A method for processing Fibre Channel Name Server query request frames by a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device interconnection apparatus (FIA) and a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC), comprising:
- receiving a Fibre Channel Name Server query request frame from a Fibre Channel device at the FIA,
- encapsulating the Fibre Channel Name Server query request frame into a FCoE frame at the FIA,
- transmitting from the FIA the FCoE Name Server query request frame to the FIAC,
- receiving at the FIAC the FCoE Name Server query request frame, processing the FCoE Name Server query request frame,
- transmitting a FCoE Name Server response frame by the FIAC to the FIA,
- receiving the FCoE Name Server response frame by the FIA,
- decapsulating the FCoE Name Server response frame into a Fibre Channel Name Server response frame at the FIA, and
- transmitting the Fibre Channel Name Server response frame back to the Fibre Channel device.
An apparatus for processing Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frames comprising:
- a first port adapted to transmit and receive Fibre Channel frames,
- a second port adapted to transmit and receive FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) and FCoE frames,
- a connectivity apparatus, the connectivity apparatus disposed between and coupled to the first port and the second port, the connectivity apparatus forwarding frames between the first and second ports,
- a FCoE and FIP frame encapsulation apparatus, the FCoE and FIP frame encapsulation apparatus coupled to the first port, configured to encapsulate Fibre Channel Name Server query request frames into FCoE Name Server query request frames,
- a FCoE and FIP frame decapsulation apparatus, the FCoE and FIP frame decapsulation apparatus coupled to the first port, configured to decapsulate FCoE Name Server response frames into Fibre Channel Name Server response frames, and
- a frame processing apparatus, the frame processing apparatus configured to identify FCoE Name Server query request frames to be forwarded out an egress port of the frame processing apparatus and identify FCoE Name Server query response frames to be forwarded out an egress port.
A system for servicing Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frames and transferring frames between FCoE devices comprising:
- a first FCoE Device,
- a second FCoE device,
- a first port adapted to transmit and receive Fibre Channel frames,
- a second port adapted to transmit and receive FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) and FCoE frames,
- a connectivity apparatus, the connectivity apparatus disposed between and coupled to the first port and the second port, the connectivity apparatus forwarding frames between the first and second ports,
- a FCoE and FIP frame encapsulation apparatus, the FCoE and FIP frame encapsulation apparatus coupled to the first port, configured to encapsulate Fibre Channel Name Server query request frames into FCoE Name Server query request frames,
- a FCoE and FIP frame decapsulation apparatus, the FCoE and FIP frame decapsulation apparatus coupled to the first port, configured to decapsulate FCoE Name Server query response frames into Fibre Channel Name Server query response frames, and
- a frame processing apparatus, the frame processing apparatus configured to identify FCoE Name Server query request frames to be forwarded out an egress port of the frame processing apparatus and identify Fibre Channel Name Server query response frames to be forwarded out an egress port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.