Fibre channel network employing registered state change notifications with enhanced payload

• US 20040024852A1
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammons, Richard L., Tsai, Raymond C., Chen, Xiaoheng, Pathak, Lalit D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A network of switches that employ Registered State Change Notifications (RSCNs) with enhanced payloads is disclosed. In one embodiment, the network comprises multiple switches coupled together, and multiple node devices each directly-coupled to at least one other switch. Each of the switches preferably provides RSCNs to other switches when a node device state change is detected. One or more of the RSCNs preferably includes a device entry having more than four properties associated with the node device undergoing the state change. The switches receiving the enhanced RSCNs preferably maintain caches of remote node device entries copied from the RSCN device entries. The device entries preferably include one or more of the following: Owner Identifier, Port Type, Port Identifier, Port Name, Node Name, Initial Process Associator, Node IP Address, Class of Service, FC-4 Types, Port IP Address, Fabric Port Name, and Hard Address. Traffic overhead may advantageously be reduced.

Claims

1. A network that comprises:

multiple switches coupled together; and

multiple node devices each directly-coupled to at least one switch,

wherein each of said multiple switches is configured to transmit state change messages to the other switches after a node device state change is detected, and

wherein at least one of the state change messages includes one or more device entries each having one or more properties associated with a particular node device.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein each device entry includes multiple properties associated with a particular node device.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple switches maintains a cache of remote node device entries, and wherein said device entry comprises a remote node device entry.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein said at least one of the multiple switches maintains a database of local node device entries, and wherein the remote node device entries consist of a subset of properties contained in the local node device entries.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for indicating a format of the device entry.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for identifying a switch to which the particular node device is directly coupled.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a Fibre Channel (FC) Port Type associated with the particular node device.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Port Identifier associated with the particular node device.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Port Name associated with the particular node device.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Node Name associated with the particular node device.

11. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Initial Process Associator associated with the particular node device.

12. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a Node IP Address associated with the particular node device.

13. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Class of Service associated with the particular node device.

14. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for FC-4 Types associated with the particular node device.

15. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a Port IP Address associated with the particular node device.

16. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Fabric Port Name associated with the particular node device.

17. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Hard Address associated with the particular node device.

18. The network of claim 1, wherein said device entry includes:

a field for indicating a format of the device entry;

a field for identifying a switch to which the particular node device is directly coupled;

a field for a Fibre Channel (FC) Port Type associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Port Identifier associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Port Name associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Node Name associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Initial Process Associator associated with the particular node device;

a field for a Node IP Address associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Class of Service associated with the particular node device;

a field for FC-4 Types associated with the particular node device;

a field for a Port IP Address associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Fabric Port Name associated with the particular node device; and

a field for a FC Hard Address associated with the particular node device.

19. The network of claim 1, wherein said at least one state change message includes:

a field that indicates that the message is a state change message;

a field that provides an identifier of the particular node device;

a field that indicates a detection function; and

a field that indicates a number of device entries included in the state change message.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein said at least one state change message includes a field for flags, wherein the flags indicate:

a format of the state change message,

whether the particular node device is online or offline, and

a format of the field that provides an identifier of the particular node device.

21. The network of claim 20, wherein the flags further indicate whether the particular node device is a phantom node device.

22. A method of providing information about node devices on a network, wherein the method comprises:

receiving node device add messages or node device delete messages from local node devices;

using the node device add/delete messages to establish and maintain a database of local node device entries;

transmitting state change messages to other switches in response to receiving the node device add/delete messages, wherein the state change messages include at least one device entry having commonly requested properties associated with a particular node device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving state change messages from other switches, wherein the state change messages include at least one device entry having commonly requested properties associated with a particular node device;

using the state change notification messages to establish and maintain a cache of device entries from said state change messages;

receiving a node device information request;

generating a response from the database of local node entries if the node device information request regards a local node device; and

generating a response from the cache of device entries if the node device information request regards a remote node device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said device entry consists of a subset of properties contained in the local node device entries.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes more than two properties associated with the particular node device.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for indicating a format of the device entry.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for identifying a switch to which the particular node device is directly coupled.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a Fibre Channel (FC) Port Type associated with the particular node device.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a FC Port Identifier associated with the particular node device.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a FC Port Name associated with the particular node device.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a FC Node Name associated with the particular node device.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a FC Initial Process Associator associated with the particular node device.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a Node IP Address associated with the particular node device.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a FC Class of Service associated with the particular node device.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for FC-4 Types associated with the particular node device.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a Port IP Address associated with the particular node device.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a FC Fabric Port Name associated with the particular node device.

38. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes a field for a FC Hard Address associated with the particular node device.

39. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one device entry includes:

a field for indicating a format of the device entry;

a field for identifying a switch to which the particular node device is directly coupled;

a field for a Fibre Channel (FC) Port Type associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Port Identifier associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Port Name associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Node Name associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Initial Process Associator associated with the particular node device;

a field for a Node IP Address associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Class of Service associated with the particular node device;

a field for FC-4 Types associated with the particular node device;

a field for a Port IP Address associated with the particular node device;

a field for a FC Fabric Port Name associated with the particular node device; and

a field for a FC Hard Address associated with the particular node device.

40. The method of claim 22, said state change messages include:

a field that indicates that the message is a state change message;

a field that provides an identifier of the particular node device;

a field that indicates a detection function; and

a field that indicates a number of device entries included in the state change message.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said state change messages include a field for flags, wherein the flags indicate:

a format of the state change message,

whether the particular node device is online or offline, and

a format of the field that provides an identifier of the particular node device.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the flags further indicate whether the particular node device is a phantom node device.

43. A Fibre Channel (FC) fabric that comprises:

a first FC switch configured to directly couple with at least one FC node device, and configured to maintain a database of local node device entries containing information about FC node devices directly coupled to the first FC switch;

a second FC switch coupled to the first FC switch and configured to directly couple with at least one FC node device, wherein the second FC switch is configured to maintain a cache of remote node device entries containing information about FC node devices directly coupled to switches other than the second FC switch,

wherein the first FC switch is configured to transmit state change messages to the second FC switch upon detecting a stage change in FC node devices directly coupled to the first FC switch,

wherein the state change messages include a remote node device entry for the cache.

44. The fabric of claim 43, wherein the second FC switch is configured to send state change messages to FC node devices directly coupled to the second switch, wherein the state change messages relate to other FC node devices that share a common zone membership with the directly-coupled FC node devices, and wherein the state change messages include a remote node device entry from the cache.

45. The fabric of claim 44, wherein each remote node device entry includes commonly requested properties associated with a node device.

46. A Fibre Channel frame signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising:

a start of frame segment encoding a start-of-frame indicator;

a content segment encoding;

a Registered State Change Notification command code; and

at least one device entry having one or more properties associated with a node device; and

an end of frame segment encoding an end-of-frame indicator.

47. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein each device entry includes multiple properties associated with a particular node device.

48. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein the frame signal is traveling to a switch device that maintains a cache of remote node device entries, and wherein said device entry comprises a remote node device entry.

49. The frame signal of claim 48, wherein said switch device maintains a name server database of local node device entries, and wherein the remote node device entries consist of a subset of properties contained in the local node device entries.

50. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein the content segment encodes multiple device entries.

51. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for indicating a format of the device entry.

52. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for identifying a switch to which an associated node device is directly coupled.

53. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for a Fibre Channel (FC) Port Type for an associated node device.

54. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Initial Process Associator for an associated node device.

55. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for a Node IP Address for an associated node device.

56. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Class of Service for an associated node device.

57. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for FC-4 Types for an associated node device.

58. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for a Port IP Address for an associated node device.

59. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Fabric Port Name for an associated node device.

60. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes a field for a FC Hard Address for an associated node device.

61. The frame signal of claim 46, wherein said device entry includes:

a field for a Fibre Channel (FC) Port Type for an associated node device;

a field for a FC Port Identifier for an associated node device;

a field for a FC Port Name for an associated node device;

a field for a FC Node Name for an associated node device;

a field for a FC Initial Process Associator for an associated node device;

a field for a Node IP Address for an associated node device;

a field for a FC Class of Service for an associated node device;

a field for FC-4 Types for an associated node device;

a field for a Port IP Address for an associated node device;

a field for a FC Fabric Port Name for an associated node device; and

a field for a FC Hard Address for an associated node device.

62. A Fibre Channel switch that comprises:

a means for directing Fibre Channel frames between ports; and

a name server configured to maintain a database of name server entries for node devices directly coupled to the switch, and configured to transmit registered state change notification messages to other switches after a node device state change is detected,

wherein at least one of the state change messages includes at least one device entry with parameter values in a name server entry of a node device associated with the detected a state change.

63. The switch of claim 62, wherein the switch further comprises a cache manager configured to maintain a cache of remote node device entries, and wherein said device entry comprises a remote node device entry.

64. The switch of claim 62, wherein said device entry includes a field for identifying the switch.

65. The switch of claim 62, wherein one of the parameter values is a Fibre Channel (FC) Port Type.

66. The switch of claim 62, wherein one of the parameter values is a FC Initial Process Associator.

67. The switch of claim 62, wherein one of the parameter values is a Node IP Address.

68. The switch of claim 62, wherein one of the parameter values is a FC Class of Service.

69. The switch of claim 62, wherein the parameter values include FC-4 Types.