Pass-through converged network adaptor (CNA) using existing Ethernet switching device

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the embodied computer readable program code comprising:

• computer readable program code configured to perform functionality of a management plane and a control plane for a switch system using a processor of an external host, wherein the external host is coupled to the switch system via one or more peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) ports;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to provide a direct memory access (DMA) facility between the external host and switching logic of the switch system,
• wherein the switch system comprises:
• a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface block coupled to a plurality of PCIe ports, the plurality of PCIe ports configured to couple to one or more external PCIe devices, wherein the PCIe interface block comprises logic configured to provide direct memory access (DMA) for each PCIe lane thereof;
• multiple switched Ethernet ports configured to couple to one or more external Ethernet devices;
• switching logic configured to switch between the multiple switched Ethernet ports and the plurality of PCIe ports using DMA;
• and
• a local processor coupled to the PCIe interface block, and
• wherein the external host comprises a pass-through PCIe adaptor coupled to the switch system via a PCIe port.

A system, comprising:

• a switch system, comprising:
• a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface block coupled to a plurality of PCIe ports, the plurality of PCIe ports configured to couple to one or more external PCIe devices, wherein the PCIe interface block comprises logic configured to provide direct memory access (DMA) for each PCIe lane thereof;
• multiple switched Ethernet ports configured to couple to one or more external Ethernet devices;
• switching logic configured to switch between the multiple switched Ethernet ports and the plurality of PCIe ports;
• logic configured to receive instruction from an external host to handle communications, using the switching logic, between hosts connected to the plurality of PCIe ports, hosts connected to the multiple switched Ethernet ports, and a first host connected to a PCIe port and a second host connected to an Ethernet port;
• and
• a local processor coupled to the PCIe interface block,
• wherein the external host comprises a pass-through PCIe adaptor coupled to the switch system via a PCIe port.