Methods and apparatus for fibre channel interconnection of private loop devices
First Claim
1. A segmented fibre channel communications system, comprising:
- a segmentation router comprising a plurality of ports;
a plurality of physical addresses associated with said segmentation router;
control instructions associated with said segmentation router for establishing said segmentation router as a master router by initializing each at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports on a fibre channel arbitrated loop associated with said segmentation router, thereby causing said segmentation router to win the LISM process performed by said fibre channel arbitrated loop and causing the segmentation of said physical addresses.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for Fibre Channel interconnection is provided between a plurality of private loop devices through a Fibre Channel private loop device interconnect system. In the preferred embodiments, the Fibre Channel private loop device interconnect system is a fabric or an intelligent bridging hub. In one aspect of this invention, a Fibre Channel private loop device is connected to two or more Arbitrated Loops containing, or adapted to contain, one or more private loop devices. Preferably, the interconnect system includes a routing filter to filter incoming Arbitrated Loop physical addresses (ALPAs) to determine which Fibre Channel frames must attempt to be routed through the fabric. Numerous topologies of interconnect systems may be achieved. In another aspect of this invention, a method is provided for implementing a logical loop of private loop devices by segmenting the logical loop into a plurality of sets, assigning each set to a physical Arbitrated Loop and connecting the Arbitrated Loops to a Fibre Channel private loop device interconnect system. Additional methods are provided for restricting attached devices to Arbitrated Loop physical addresses within certain ranges. Additionally, methods are provided for resetting hosts, the method generally comprising the steps of detecting the addition of a storage device to a first Arbitrated Loop, and thereafter, resetting the Arbitrated Loop or loops on which a host or hosts reside on second Arbitrated Loop. Methods for operation with use of SCSI initiators generate a link service reject when no address match is found, or when an address match is found, but where no device with the destination ALPA exists on the Arbitrated Loop corresponding to the destination.
154 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A segmented fibre channel communications system, comprising:
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a segmentation router comprising a plurality of ports;
a plurality of physical addresses associated with said segmentation router;
control instructions associated with said segmentation router for establishing said segmentation router as a master router by initializing each at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports on a fibre channel arbitrated loop associated with said segmentation router, thereby causing said segmentation router to win the LISM process performed by said fibre channel arbitrated loop and causing the segmentation of said physical addresses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop for providing simultaneously multiple conversations and multiplicative bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
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dividing available arbitrated loop physical addresses on a plurality of sub-Loops using a segmentation router to generate a perceived contiguous loop by performing the steps of initializing a plurality of ports on the segmenting router on the fibre channel arbitrated loop so that the segmenting router becomes a select master router and wins the loop initiator slave-master arbitrated process;
sending LIPA, LIHA, LISA frames from the segmenting router, so that a segmentation router bytes except the range of address bits set to 1 to prevent other NL-ports attached to other router from acquiring a duplicated address;
continuing this process until each router has completed the process thereby making all addresses attached to the router unique so that the router can route frames from one “
sub-loop”
to another. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for forming a segmented fibre channel communications system, comprising the steps of:
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forming a segmentation router comprising a plurality of ports;
forming a plurality of physical addresses associated with said segmentation router;
forming control instructions associated with said segmentation router for establishing said segmentation router as a master router by initializing each of at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports on a fibre channel arbitrated Loop associated with said segmentation router;
thereby causing said segmentation router to win the LISM process performed by said fibre channel arbitrated loop and causing the segmentation of said physical addresses. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification