Switching fabric device discovery

• US 20080080400A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mo Rooholamini, Randeep Kapoor
• Original Assignee: Mo Rooholamini, Randeep Kapoor
• Inventors: Rooholamini, Mo, Kapoor, Randeep
• Application Number:
  US11/541,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080400A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags

Abstract

A method includes a fabric manager implementing a scheme to discover one or more devices coupled to the switch fabric. The scheme to include the fabric manager locating a device coupled to the fabric manager via a path routed through the switch fabric. The fabric manager to also collect information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the device that stores information associated with a plurality of capabilities for the device to operate on the switch fabric. The fabric manager to read the one or more memory locations at the device based on the determination. This reading is to occur such that the information associated with the plurality of capabilities is read in a parallel manner via the path. A table is maintained by the fabric manager for the device, the table to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities that was read from the one or more memory locations. The fabric manager is to use the table to configure the device for operating on the switch fabric. The fabric manager is to also enter the device in a fabric map for the switch fabric.

Claims

1. In a switch fabric including a fabric manager, a method comprising:

implementing a scheme to discover one or more devices coupled to the switch fabric, the scheme to include;

locating a device coupled to the fabric manager via a path routed through the switch fabric;

collecting information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the device that stores information associated with a plurality of capabilities for the device to operate on the switch fabric;

reading the one or more memory locations at the device based on the determination, the reading to occur such that the information associated with the plurality of capabilities is read in a parallel manner via the path;

maintaining a table for the device, the table to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities that was read from the one or more memory locations, the table to be used to configure the device for operating on the switch fabric; and

entering the device in a fabric map for the switch fabric.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein locating the device coupled to the fabric manager via the path routed through the switch fabric comprises determining that the path is a primary path that provides privileged access to the fabric manager to configure the device for operating on the switch fabric, based on a determination that the path is the primary path, the fabric manager to determine whether the device is associated with a unique identification and associates the device with a given unique identification if the device is not associated with a unique identification.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

initializing the device for operating on the switch fabric based on the information maintained in the table and based on the fabric map, the initializing to include the fabric manager writing information to at least a portion of the one or more memory locations at the device, the information written via the primary path.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the switch fabric comprises the switch fabric to operate in compliance with an Advanced Switching Interconnect specification to include Advanced Switching Interconnect Core Architecture Specification, Revision 1.1.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein collecting information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the device comprises collecting information from a plurality of capability structures, each capability structure associated with a given capability, the plurality of capability structures to indicate the one or more memory locations at the device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the device, the information collected using protocol interface 4 (PI-4) read request and read completion data packets.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein reading the one or more memory locations at the device based on the determination, comprises generating one or more PI-4 read request data packets to read the one or more memory locations, the one or more PI-4 read request data packets to cause the device to respond with one or more PI-4 read completion data packets, the one or more PI-4 read completion data packets to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the device to operate on the switch fabric.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of capabilities for the device include at least one of:

a unique identification capability, a communication protocol interface support capability, a given communication channel bandwidth capability, a multicasting route capability and a monitoring and event reporting capability.

8. A method according to claim 1, the path routed through the switch fabric that couples the device to the fabric manager comprises a non-primary path that does not provide privileged access to the fabric manager to configure the device for operating on the switch fabric, wherein the fabric manager is to:

collect information from the device to determine the device'"'"'s unique identification;

consolidate the information maintained in the table that was read via the non-primary path with information received via a primary path that provides privileged access to the fabric manager to configure the device for operating on the switch fabric, the information received via the primary path maintained in an other table; and

remove the duplicate entry from the fabric map.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a device on a switch fabric to host a fabric manager, the device including logic for the fabric manager to implement a scheme to discover one or more other devices coupled to the switch fabric, the scheme to include the fabric manager to;

locate an other device coupled to the fabric manager via a path routed through the switch fabric;

collect information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the other device that stores information associated with a plurality of capabilities for the other device to operate on the switch fabric;

read the one or more memory locations at the other device based on the determination, the fabric manager to read the information associated with the plurality of capabilities in a parallel manner via the path;

maintain a table for the other device, the table to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities that was read from the one or more memory locations, the table to be used to configure the other device for operating on the switch fabric; and

enter the other device in a fabric map for the switch fabric.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the switch fabric comprises the switch fabric to operate in compliance with an Advanced Switching Interconnect specification to include Advanced Switching Interconnect Core Architecture Specification, Revision 1.1.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the fabric manager to collect information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the other device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the other device comprises the fabric manager to collect information from a plurality of capability structures, each capability structure associated with a given capability, the plurality of capability structures to indicate the one or more memory locations at the other device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the other device, the information collected using protocol interface 4 (PI-4) read request and read completion data packets.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the fabric manager to read the one or more memory locations at the other device based on the determination, comprises the fabric manager to generate one or more PI-4 read request data packets to read the one or more memory locations, the one or more PI-4 read request data packets to cause the other device to respond with one or more PI-4 read completion data packets, the one or more PI-4 read completion data packets to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the other device to operate on the switch fabric.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of capabilities for the other device include at least one of:

a unique identification capability, a communication protocol interface support capability, a given communication channel bandwidth capability, a multicasting route capability and a monitoring and event reporting capability.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the one or more memory locations at the other device comprises one or more apertures.

15. A switch fabric comprising:

a plurality of devices to include one or more endpoints and one or more switches; and

a device from among the plurality of devices, the device to host a fabric manager, the device to include logic for the fabric manager to implement a scheme to discover the plurality of devices, the scheme to include the fabric manager to;

locate a given device of the plurality of devices, the given device coupled to the fabric manager via a path routed through the switch fabric;

collect information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the given device that stores information associated with a plurality of capabilities for the given device to operate on the switch fabric;

read the one or more memory locations at the given device based on the determination, the fabric manager to read the information associated with the plurality of capabilities in a parallel manner via the path;

maintain a table for the given device, the table to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities that was read from the one or more memory locations, the table to be used to configure the given device for operating on the switch fabric; and

enter the given device in a fabric map for the switch fabric.

16. A switch fabric according to claim 15, wherein the switch fabric comprises the switch fabric to operate in compliance with an Advanced Switching Interconnect specification to include Advanced Switching Interconnect Core Architecture Specification, Revision 1.1.

17. A switch fabric according to claim 16, wherein the fabric manager to collect information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the given device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the given device comprises the fabric manager to collect information from a plurality of capability structures, each capability structure associated with a given capability, the plurality of capability structures to indicate the one or more memory locations at the given device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the given device, the information collected using protocol interface 4 (PI-4) read request and read completion data packets.

18. A switch fabric according to claim 16, wherein the fabric manager to read the one or more memory locations at the given device based on the determination, comprises the fabric manager to generate one or more PI-4 read request data packets to read the one or more memory locations, the one or more PI-4 read request data packets to cause the given device to respond with one or more PI-4 read completion data packets, the one or more PI-4 read completion data packets to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the given device to operate on the switch fabric.

19. A switch fabric according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of capabilities for the given device include at least one of:

a unique identification capability, a communication protocol interface support capability, a given communication channel bandwidth capability, a multicasting route capability and a monitoring and event reporting capability.

20. A switch fabric according to claim 15, wherein the fabric manager comprises the fabric manager as a primary fabric manager and an other device from among the plurality of devices hosts a secondary fabric manager, the other device to include logic for the secondary fabric manager to implement the scheme implemented by the primary fabric manager to discover the plurality of devices, the secondary fabric manager to implement the scheme after the primary fabric manager has implemented the scheme.

21. A machine-accessible medium comprising content, which, when executed by an endpoint on a switch fabric causes the endpoint to:

host a fabric manager, the fabric manager to implement a scheme to discover one or more devices coupled to the switch fabric, the scheme to include the fabric manager to;

locate a device coupled to the fabric manager via a path routed through the switch fabric;

collect information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the device that stores information associated with a plurality of capabilities for the device to operate on the switch fabric;

read the one or more memory locations at the device based on the determination, the fabric manager to read the information associated with the plurality of capabilities in a parallel manner via the path;

maintain a table for the device, the table to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities that was read from the one or more memory locations, the table to be used to configure the device for operating on the switch fabric; and

enter the device in a fabric map for the switch fabric.

22. A machine-accessible medium according to claim 21, wherein the switch fabric comprises the switch fabric to operate in compliance with an Advanced Switching Interconnect specification to include Advanced Switching Interconnect Core Architecture Specification, Revision 1.1.

23. A machine-accessible medium according to claim 22, wherein the fabric manager to collect information via the path to determine one or more memory locations at the device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the device comprises the fabric manager to collect information from a plurality of capability structures, each capability structure associated with a given capability, the plurality of capability structures to indicate the one or more memory locations at the device that stores information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the device, the information collected using protocol interface 4 (PI-4) read request and read completion data packets.

24. A machine-accessible medium according to claim 23, wherein the fabric manager to read the one or more memory locations at the device based on the determination, comprises the fabric manager to generate one or more PI-4 read request data packets to read the one or more memory locations, the one or more PI-4 read request data packets to cause the device to respond with one or more PI-4 read completion data packets, the one or more PI-4 read completion data packets to include the information associated with the plurality of capabilities for the device to operate on the switch fabric.