Apparatus and method for storage processing with split data and control paths

• US 20040143640A1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rangan, Venkat, Pangal, Gururaj, McClanahan, Edward D., Beckmann, Curt E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/101 using crossbar or matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3027 Output queuing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches

Abstract

A system including a storage processing device with an input/output module. The input/output module has port processors to receive and transmit network traffic. The input/output module also has a switch connecting the port processors. Each port processor categorizes the network traffic as fast path network traffic or control path network traffic. The switch routes fast path network traffic from an ingress port processor to a specified egress port processor. The storage processing device also includes a control module to process the control path network traffic received from the ingress port processor. The control module routes processed control path network traffic to the switch for routing to a defined egress port processor. The control module is connected to the input/output module. The input/output module and the control module are configured to interactively support data virtualization, data migration, data journaling, and snapshotting. The distributed control and fast path processors achieve scaling of storage network software. The storage processors provide line-speed processing of storage data using a rich set of storage-optimized hardware acceleration engines. The multi-protocol switching fabric provides a low-latency, protocol-neutral interconnect that integrally links all components with any-to-any non-blocking throughput.

Claims

1. A storage processing device, comprising:

an input/output module including;

port processors to receive and transmit network traffic, wherein ingress port processors receive network traffic and egress port processors transmit network traffic; and

a switch coupling said port processors, each port processor of said port processors categorizing said network traffic as fast path network traffic or control path network traffic, said fast path network traffic being routed by said switch from an ingress port processor to a specified egress port processor; and

a control module, coupled to said switch, to receive said control path network traffic from an ingress port processor via said switch and to provide control path network traffic to said switch for routing to a defined egress port processor.

2. The storage processing device of claim 1, wherein each port processor categorizes selected read and write tasks as fast path network traffic.

3. The storage processing device of claim 2, wherein said selected read and write tasks include virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

4. The storage processing device of claim 3, wherein said selected read and write tasks further include non-virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

5. The storage processing device of claim 4, wherein said SCSI frames are FCP frames.

6. The storage processing device of claim 4, wherein said SCSI frames are iSCSI frames.

7. The storage processing device of claim 1, wherein each port processor categorizes Internet Protocol traffic as fast path network traffic.

8. The storage processing device of claim 1, wherein each port processor categorizes login requests, logout requests, and routing updates as control path network traffic.

9. The storage processing device of claim 1, wherein said network traffic is Fibre Channel traffic and said control path network traffic includes at least one of FLOGI, PLOGI, PRLI, LOGO, PRLO, ACC, LS_RJT, ADISC, FDISC, TPRLO, RRQ, and ELS frames.

10. The storage processing device of claim 9, wherein said control path network traffic further includes at least one of TUR, INQUIRY, START/STOP UNIT, READ, CAPACITY, REPORT LUNS, MODE SENSE, SCSI RESERVE/RELEASE, and TARGET RESET frames.

11. The storage processing device of claim 1, wherein said port processors further recategorize selected fast path network traffic as control path network traffic under selected error conditions.

12. A fabric for coupling at least one host and at least one storage device, the fabric comprising:

at least one switch for coupling to the at least one host and the at least one storage device; and

a storage processing device coupled to the at least one switch and for coupling to the at least one host and the at least one storage device, the storage processing device including;

an input/output module including;

port processors to receive and transmit network traffic, wherein ingress port processors receive network traffic and egress port processors transmit network traffic; and

a switch coupling said port processors, each port processor of said port processors categorizing said network traffic as fast path network traffic or control path network traffic, said fast path network traffic being routed by said switch from an ingress port processor to a specified egress port processor; and

a control module, coupled to said switch, to receive said control path network traffic from an ingress port processor via said switch and to provide control path network traffic to said switch for routing to a defined egress port processor.

13. The fabric of claim 12, wherein each port processor categorizes selected read and write tasks as fast path network traffic.

14. The fabric of claim 13, wherein said selected read and write tasks include virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

15. The fabric of claim 14, wherein said selected read and write tasks further include non-virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

16. The fabric of claim 15, wherein said SCSI frames are FCP frames.

17. The fabric of claim 15, wherein said SCSI frames are iSCSI frames.

18. The fabric of claim 12, wherein each port processor categorizes login requests, logout requests, and routing updates as control path network traffic.

19. The fabric of claim 12, wherein said network traffic is Fibre Channel traffic and said control path network traffic includes at least one of FLOGI, PLOGI, PRLI, LOGO, PRLO, ACC, LS_RJT, ADISC, FDISC, TPRLO, RRQ, and ELS frames.

20. The fabric of claim 19, wherein said control path network traffic further includes at least one of TUR, INQUIRY, START/STOP UNIT, READ, CAPACITY, REPORT LUNS, MODE SENSE, SCSI RESERVE/RELEASE, and TARGET RESET frames.

21. The fabric of claim 12, wherein said port processors further recategorize selected fast path network traffic as control path network traffic under selected error conditions.

22. A network comprising:

at least one host;

at least one storage device; and

a fabric coupling the at least one host and the at least one storage device, the fabric comprising;

at least one switch for coupling to the at least one host and the at least one storage device; and

a storage processing device coupled to the at least one switch and for coupling to the at least one host and the at least one storage device, the storage processing device including;

an input/output module including;

port processors to receive and transmit network traffic, wherein ingress port processors receive network traffic and egress port processors transmit network traffic; and

a switch coupling said port processors, each port processor of said port processors categorizing said network traffic as fast path network traffic or control path network traffic, said fast path network traffic being routed by said switch from an ingress port processor to a specified egress port processor; and

a control module, coupled to said switch, to receive said control path network traffic from an ingress port processor via said switch and to provide control path network traffic to said switch for routing to a defined egress port processor.

23. The network of claim 22, wherein each port processor categorizes selected read and write tasks as fast path network traffic.

24. The network of claim 23, wherein said selected read and write tasks include virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

25. The network of claim 24, wherein said selected read and write tasks further include non-virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

26. The network of claim 25, wherein said SCSI frames are FCP frames.

27. The network of claim 25, wherein said SCSI frames are iSCSI frames.

28. The network of claim 22, wherein each port processor categorizes login requests, logout requests, and routing updates as control path network traffic.

29. The network of claim 22, wherein said network traffic is Fibre Channel traffic and said control path network traffic includes at least one of FLOGI, PLOGI, PRLI, LOGO, PRLO, ACC, LS_RJT, ADISC, FDISC, TPRLO, RRQ, and ELS frames.

30. The network of claim 29, wherein said control path network traffic further includes at least one of TUR, INQUIRY, START/STOP UNIT, READ, CAPACITY, REPORT LUNS, MODE SENSE, SCSI RESERVE/RELEASE, and TARGET RESET frames.

31. The network of claim 22, wherein said port processors further recategorize selected fast path network traffic as control path network traffic under selected error conditions.

32. A method for handling network traffic in a storage processing device, comprising:

providing an input/output module including;

port processors receiving and transmitting network traffic, wherein ingress port processors receive network traffic and egress port processors transmit network traffic; and

a switch coupling said port processors, each port processor of said port processors categorizing said network traffic as fast path network traffic or control path network traffic, said fast path network traffic being routed by said switch from an ingress port processor to a specified egress port processor; and

providing a control module, coupled to said switch, to receive said control path network traffic from an ingress port processor via said switch and to provide control path network traffic to said switch for routing to a defined egress port processor.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein each port processor categorizes selected read and write tasks as fast path network traffic.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said selected read and write tasks include virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said selected read and write tasks further include non-virtualized SCSI read and write command and data frames.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said SCSI frames are FCP frames.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said SCSI frames are iSCSI frames.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein each port processor categorizes login requests, logout requests, and routing updates as control path network traffic.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein said network traffic is Fibre Channel traffic and said control path network traffic includes at least one of FLOGI, PLOGI, PRLI, LOGO, PRLO, ACC, LS_RJT, ADISC, FDISC, TPRLO, RRQ, and ELS frames.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said control path network traffic further includes at least one of TUR, INQUIRY, START/STOP UNIT, READ, CAPACITY, REPORT LUNS, MODE SENSE, SCSI RESERVE/RELEASE, and TARGET RESET frames.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein said port processors further recategorize selected fast path network traffic as control path network traffic under selected error conditions.