Fibre channel zoning by logical unit number in hardware

• US 20020176434A1
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Banks, David C., Yu, Shunjia, Wu, Ding-Long, Zhu, Jieming
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/422
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/103 using a shared central buffer; using a shared memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3018 Input queuing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3027 Output queuing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3036 Shared queuing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method for filtering a plurality of frames sent between devices coupled to a fabric by Fiber Channel connections. Frames are reviewed against a set of individual frame filters. Each frame filter is associated with an action, and actions selected by filter matches are prioritized. Groups of devices are “zoned” together and frame filtering ensures that restrictions placed upon communications between devices within the same zone are enforced. Zone group filtering is also used to prevent devices not within the same zone from communicating. Zoning may also be used to create LUN-level zones, protocol zones, and access control zones. In addition, individual frame filters may be created that reference selected portions of frame header or frame payload fields.

Claims

1. A Fibre Channel device for use in a Fibre Channel fabric, the fabric coupling a plurality of external devices, the fabric configured into at least two zones, where the external devices are allowed to exchange data packets only with external devices in the same zone, the Fibre Channel device enforcing the zones in hardware, the Fibre Channel device comprising:

a receiving port for coupling to the fabric and receiving data packets;

a transmitting port for coupling to the fabric and transmitting data packets; and

device logic connecting said receiving port and said transmitting port, wherein said device logic includes;

zoning data storage for storing configuration data indicative of the zone configuration of the fabric, including logical unit numbers (LUNs) of the external devices allowed to exchange data packets;

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the LUN field of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

an action circuit connected to said source and destination address comparison circuits and utilizing said LUN field comparison circuit output to determine an action to be performed on the received data packet.

2. The Fibre Channel device of claim 1, wherein the action determined by said action circuit is to forward the data packet, and wherein said transmitting port transmits the data packet.

3. The Fibre Channel device of claim 1, wherein the action determined by said action circuit is to discard the data packet, and wherein said transmitting port does not transmit the data packet.

4. The Fibre Channel device of claim 1, wherein said device logic further includes:

a central memory for storing data packets;

receiver logic connected to said receiving port and said central memory for receiving a data packet from said receiving port and storing the data packet in said central memory; and

transmitter logic connected to said transmitting port and said central memory for retrieving the data packet from said central memory and providing the data packet to said transmitting port,

wherein said zoning data storage, LUN field comparison circuit and said action circuit are included in said transmitter logic.

5. The Fibre Channel device of claim 1, wherein the external devices are fabric-attached, loop-attached or a combination of fabric-attached and loop-attached.

6. The Fibre Channel device of claim 1, wherein the external devices are fabric-attached.

7. The Fibre Channel device of claim 1, wherein said device logic further includes:

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage and said action circuit for comparing the Fibre Channel type of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

wherein said action circuit further utilizes said Fibre Channel type comparison circuit output to determine said action to be performed.

8. The Fibre Channel device of claim 7,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes:

addresses of the external devices allowed to exchange data packets;

wherein said device logic further includes;

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the source address of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the destination address of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

wherein said action circuit further utilizes said source address and destination address comparison circuit outputs to determine said action to be performed.

9. The Fibre Channel device of claim 8,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

10. The Fibre Channel device of claim 7,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

11. The Fibre Channel device of claim 1,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

13. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 12, wherein the action determined by said action circuit is to forward the data packet, and wherein said transmitting port transmits the data packet.

14. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 12, wherein the action determined by said action circuit is to discard the data packet, and wherein said transmitting port does not transmit the data packet.

15. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 12, wherein said device logic further includes:

a central memory for storing data packets;

receiver logic connected to said receiving port and said central memory for receiving a data packet from said receiving port and storing the data packet in said central memory; and

transmitter logic connected to said transmitting port and said central memory for retrieving the data packet from said central memory and providing the data packet to said transmitting port,

wherein said zoning data storage, LUN field comparison circuit and said action circuit are included in said transmitter logic.

16. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 12, wherein the external devices are fabric-attached, loop-attached or a combination of fabric-attached and loop-attached.

17. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 12, wherein the external devices are fabric-attached.

18. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 12, wherein said device logic further includes:

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage and said action circuit for comparing the Fibre Channel type of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

wherein said action circuit further utilizes said Fibre Channel type comparison circuit output to determine said action to be performed.

19. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 18,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes:

addresses of the external devices allowed to exchange data packets;

wherein said device logic further includes;

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the source address of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the destination address of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

wherein said action circuit further utilizes said source address and destination address comparison circuit outputs to determine said action to be performed.

20. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 19,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

21. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 18,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

22. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 12,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

24. The Fibre Channel fabric of claim 23, wherein the action determined by said action circuit is to forward the data packet, and wherein said transmitting port transmits the data packet.

25. The Fibre Channel fabric of claim 23, wherein the action determined by said action circuit is to discard the data packet, and wherein said transmitting port does not transmit the data packet.

26. The Fibre Channel fabric of claim 23, wherein said device logic further includes:

a central memory for storing data packets;

receiver logic connected to said receiving port and said central memory for receiving a data packet from said receiving port and storing the data packet in said central memory; and

transmitter logic connected to said transmitting port and said central memory for retrieving the data packet from said central memory and providing the data packet to said transmitting port,

wherein said zoning data storage, LUN field comparison circuit and said action circuit are included in said transmitter logic.

27. The Fibre Channel fabric of claim 23, wherein said external devices are fabric-attached, loop-attached or a combination of fabric-attached and loop-attached.

28. The Fibre Channel fabric of claim 23, wherein said external devices are fabric-attached.

29. The Fibre Channel fabric of claim 23, wherein said device logic further includes:

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage and said action circuit for comparing the Fibre Channel type of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

wherein said action circuit further utilizes said Fibre Channel type comparison circuit output to determine said action to be performed.

30. The Fibre Channel device of claim 29,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes:

addresses of the external devices allowed to exchange data packets;

wherein said device logic further includes;

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the source address of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the destination address of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

wherein said action circuit further utilizes said source address and destination address comparison circuit outputs to determine said action to be performed.

31. The Fibre Channel device of claim 30,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

32. The Fibre Channel device of claim 29,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

33. The Fibre Channel device of claim 23,

wherein said zoning data storage further includes an offset value defining an amount of offset into a data packet to indicate the location of the LUN field in the data packet, and

wherein said LUN field comparison circuit utilizes said offset value to determine the LUN field of the received data packet.

12. A Fibre Channel switch for use in a Fibre Channel fabric, the fabric coupling a plurality of external devices, the fabric configured into at least two zones, where the external devices are allowed to exchange data packets only with external devices in the same zone, the Fibre Channel switch enforcing the. zones in hardware, the Fibre Channel switch comprising:

a microprocessor;

local memory connected to said microprocessor; and

a Fibre Channel device connected to and controlled by said microprocessor, wherein said Fibre Channel device includes;

a receiving port for coupling to the fabric and receiving data packets;

a transmitting port for coupling to the fabric and transmitting data packets; and

device logic connecting said receiving port and said transmitting port, wherein said device logic includes;

zoning data storage for storing configuration data indicative of the zone configuration of the fabric, including logical unit numbers (LUNs) of the external devices allowed to exchange data packets;

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the LUN field of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

an action circuit connected to said LUN field comparison circuits and utilizing said LUN field circuit output to determine an action to be performed on the received data packet.

23. A Fibre Channel fabric comprising:

a plurality of external devices;

a first Fibre Channel switch coupled to a first portion of said plurality of external devices; and

a second Fibre Channel switch coupled to a second portion of said plurality of external devices and coupled to said first Fibre Channel switch,

wherein the fabric is configured into at least two zones, where said external devices are allowed to exchange data packets only with external devices in the same zone and wherein said first and second Fibre Channel switches enforce the zones in hardware, each of said first and second Fibre Channel switches including;

a microprocessor;

local memory connected to said microprocessor; and

a Fibre Channel device connected to and controlled by said microprocessor,

wherein said Fibre Channel device includes;

a receiving port for coupling to the fabric and receiving data packets;

a transmitting port for coupling to the fabric and transmitting data packets; and

device logic connecting said receiving port and said transmitting port,

wherein said device logic includes;

zoning data storage for storing configuration data indicative of the zone configuration of the fabric, including logical unit numbers (LUNs) of the external devices allowed to exchange data packets;

a comparison circuit connected to said zoning data storage for comparing the LUN field of a received data packet with said stored configuration data and providing an output; and

an action circuit connected to said LUN field comparison circuit and utilizing said LUN field comparison circuit output to determine an action to be performed on the received data packet.