System and method for providing multiple virtual host channel adapters using virtual switches

• US 20060230185A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Craddock, David, Gregg, Thomas A., Walk, Bruce M., Schmidt, Donald W., Errickson, Richard K., Turner, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,581,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/35 Switches specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/358 Infiniband Switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A processor node of a network is provided which includes one or more processors and a virtualized channel adapter. The virtualized channel adapter is operable to reference a table to determine whether a destination of the communication is supported by the virtualized channel adapter. When the destination is supported for routing via hardware, the virtualized channel adapter is operable to route the communication via hardware to at least one of a physical port and a logical port of the virtualized channel adapter. Otherwise, when the destination is not supported for routing via hardware, the virtualized channel adapter is operable to route the communication via firmware to a virtual port of the virtualized channel adapter. A corresponding method and a recording medium having information recorded thereon for performing such method are also provided herein.

Claims

1. A processor node of a network, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a virtualized channel adapter, the virtualized channel adapter operable to reference a table to determine whether a destination of the communication is supported by the virtualized channel adapter;

when the destination is supported for routing via hardware, the virtualized channel adapter being operable to route the communication via hardware to at least one of a physical port and a logical port of the virtualized channel adapter; and

when the destination is not supported for routing via hardware, the virtualized channel adapter being operable to route the communication via firmware to a virtual port of the virtualized channel adapter.

2. The processor node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the table includes an array of bits, each bit indicating whether a local identifier (“

LID”

) is supported by the virtualized channel adapter, such that the destination is supported by the virtualized channel adapter when the destination corresponds to a LID indicated by the array to be supported.

3. The processor node as claimed in claim 2, wherein the virtualized channel adapter is operable to determine whether the destination is supported by hardware by checking the destination via a LIDCAM facility of the virtualized channel adapter.

4. The processor node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtualized channel adapter is further operable to assign a queue pair to an LPAR for use as one of a QP0 and a QP1, the queue pair being assigned from a pool of queue pairs allocated to the virtualized channel adapter and being assigned one of an alias QP0 identifier and an alias QP1 identifier.

5. The processor node as claimed in claim 4, wherein the one of the QP0 and the QP1 queue pairs is assigned from an end of a range of queue pair numbers of the virtualized channel adapter.

6. The processor node as claimed in claim 5, wherein the QP0 is assigned to particular LPAR utilizing a particular vPort numbered “

x”

using a queue pair of the virtualized channel adapter numbered QP2(x−

1).

7. The processor node as claimed in claim 5, wherein the QP1 is assigned to particular LPAR utilizing a particular vPort numbered “

x”

using a queue pair of the virtualized channel adapter numbered QP2(x−

1)+1.

8. A method of routing a communication within a virtualized channel adapter to a destination, comprising:

referencing a table to determine whether a destination of the communication is supported by the virtualized channel adapter;

when the destination is supported for routing via hardware, routing the communication via hardware to at least one of a physical port and a logical port of the virtualized channel adapter; and

when the destination is not supported for routing via hardware, routing the communication via firmware to a virtual port of the virtualized channel adapter.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the table includes an array of bits, each bit indicating whether a local identifier (“

LID”

) is supported by the virtualized channel adapter, such that the destination is supported by the virtualized channel adapter when the destination corresponds to a LID indicated by the array to be supported.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a determination is made whether the destination is supported by hardware by checking the destination via a LIDCAM facility of the virtualized channel adapter.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising assigning a queue pair to an LPAR for use as one of a QP0 and a QP1, the queue pair being assigned from a pool of queue pairs allocated to the virtualized channel adapter and being assigned one of an alias QP0 identifier and an alias QP1 identifier.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one of the QP0 and the QP1 queue pairs is assigned from an end of a range of queue pair numbers of the virtualized channel adapter.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the QP0 is assigned to particular LPAR utilizing a particular vPort numbered “

x”

using a queue pair of the virtualized channel adapter numbered QP2(x−

1).

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the QP1 is assigned to particular LPAR utilizing a particular vPort numbered “

x”

using a queue pair of the virtualized channel adapter numbered QP2(x−

1)+1.

15. A recording medium having information recorded thereon for performing a method for routing a communication within a virtualized channel adapter to a destination, the method comprising:

referencing a table to determine whether a destination of the communication is supported by the virtualized channel adapter;

when the destination is supported for routing via hardware, routing the communication via hardware to at least one of a physical port and a logical port of the virtualized channel adapter; and

when the destination is not supported for routing via hardware, routing the communication via firmware to a virtual port of the virtualized channel adapter.

16. The recording medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the table includes an array of bits, each bit indicating whether a local identifier (“

LID”

) is supported by the virtualized channel adapter, such that the destination is supported by the virtualized channel adapter when the destination corresponds to a LID indicated by the array to be supported.

17. The recording medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein a determination is made whether the destination is supported by hardware by checking the destination via a LIDCAM facility of the virtualized channel adapter.

18. The recording medium as claimed in claim 17, further comprising assigning a queue pair to an LPAR for use as one of a QP0 and a QP1, the queue pair being assigned from a pool of queue pairs allocated to the virtualized channel adapter and being assigned one of an alias QP0 identifier and an alias QP1 identifier.

19. The recording medium as claimed in claim 18, wherein the one of the QP0 and the QP1 queue pairs is assigned from an end of a range of queue pair numbers of the virtualized channel adapter.

20. The recording medium as claimed in claim 19, wherein the QP0 is assigned to particular LPAR utilizing a particular vPort numbered “

x”

using a queue pair of the virtualized channel adapter numbered QP2(x−

1).