Method and apparatus for obtaining multiple port addresses by a fibre channel from a network fabric

• US 20030103504A1
• Filed: 12/03/2001
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Frazier, Giles R., Dugan, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product for assigning or confirming multiple address identifications to a single channel adapter. A server contains multiple partitions connected to a single channel adapter which is used to send data and commands to a fabric. A request is sent to the fabric on behalf of each of the partitions, and the fabric assigns or confirms and returns to the adapter, an address identification associated to each partition on whose behalf the request was sent. The assigned or confirmed address is used to communicate between controllers connected to the fabric and the associated partition through the same channel adapter.

Claims

1. In a data processing network having a server, multiple partitions, a fabric, and a channel adapter communicating between the partition and the fabric, a method of assigning addresses to the channel adapter comprising:

sending multiple requests from the channel adapter to the fabric, each request sent on behalf of a respective one of said partitions;

assigning a unique address identification for each request, each address identification being associated with the respective partition on whose behalf the request was sent;

storing in a table in the fabric, the address identifications; and

returning the assigned address identification for each request, wherein multiple addresses are assigned to the same channel adapter.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing the table in the fabric responsive to the first request.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the table is stored in a name server in the fabric.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a proposed address to the fabric with a request, and

confirming by the fabric that the proposed name is assigned.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an updated address to the fabric with a request, and

updating by the fabric, the stored address associated with the partition on whose behalf the request was sent with said updated address.

6. A data processing system comprising:

a server;

multiple partitions in said server;

a fabric;

a channel adapter communicating between the partition and the fabric, said channel adapter sending multiple requests to the fabric, each request sent on behalf of a respective one of said partitions;

said fabric assigning a unique address identification for each request, each address identification being associated with the respective partition on whose behalf the request was sent;

a table in said fabric storing the address identifications; and

a transmitter in said fabric returning the assigned address identification for each request, such that multiple addresses are assigned to the same channel adapter.

7. The data processing system of claim 6 wherein said fabric establishes the table in the fabric responsive to the first request.

8. The data processing system of claim 6 wherein the table is stored in a name server in the fabric.

9. The data processing system of claim 6 wherein said server sends a proposed address to the fabric with a request, and said fabric confirms that the proposed name is assigned.

10. The data processing system of claim 6 wherein said server sends an updated address to the fabric with a request, and said fabric updates the address associated with the partition on whose behalf the request was sent with said updated address.

11. In data processing system having a server, multiple partitions in the server, a fabric, and a channel adapter communicating between the partition and the fabric, said channel adapter sending multiple requests to the fabric, each request sent on behalf of a respective one of said partitions, an apparatus for assigning multiple addresses to the channel adapter comprising:

a process in said fabric assigning a unique address identification for each request, each address identification being associated with the respective partition on whose behalf the request was sent;

a table in said fabric storing the address identifications; and

a transmitter in said fabric returning the assigned address identification for each request, such that multiple addresses are assigned to the same channel adapter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said fabric establishes the table in the fabric responsive to the first request.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the table is stored in a name server in the fabric.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein when said server sends a proposed address to the fabric with a request, and said fabric confirms that the proposed name is assigned.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein when said server sends an updated address to the fabric with a request, and said fabric updates the address associated with the partition on whose behalf the request was sent with said updated address.

16. A program product usable with a data processing network having a server, multiple partitions, a fabric, and a channel adapter communicating between the partition and the fabric, said program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having recorded thereon computer readable program code means for performing the method of assigning addresses to the channel adapter comprising;

receiving multiple requests from the channel adapter to the fabric, each request sent on behalf of a respective one of said partitions;

assigning a unique address identification for each request, each address identification being associated with the respective partition on whose behalf the request was sent;

storing in a table in the fabric, the address identifications; and

returning the assigned address identification for each request, wherein multiple addresses are assigned to the same channel adapter.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises establishing the table in the fabric responsive to the first request.

18. The program product of claim 16 wherein the table is stored in a name server in the fabric.

19. The program product of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a proposed address to the fabric with a request, and

confirming by the fabric that the proposed name is assigned.

20. The program product of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving an updated address to the fabric with a request, and

updating by the fabric, the stored address associated with the partition on whose behalf the request was sent with said updated address.