FIBRE CHANNEL CREDIT EXTENDER AND REPEATER
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Fibre Channel Credit Extender (FCCE) (600) is a network device that is disposed between and connected to an end node (210) and an optical repeater (220). The FCCE (600) contains as many buffer credits as necessary, to solve bandwidth problems in a network. In a situation where maximum bandwidth is required in both directions of a link, the FCCE (600) breaks a single logical link into three physically separated “linklets.” The short-distance linklets attain maximum bandwidth by use of the existing buffer credits of the end nodes. The long-distance linklet attains maximum bandwidth by use of very high receive buffer credits in the FCCEs (600). In this way, only those links that need maximum bandwidth over distances not covered by end-node credit counts need be attached to an FCCE (600). The FCCE (600) contains the optical repeater to gain distance on that link, and contains high credit count receive buffers to gain bandwidth on the link. All other ports of the switch can have smaller and less expensive receive buffers.
60 Citations
45 Claims
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1-24. -24. (canceled)
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25. A method for augmenting a transmission bandwidth of an existing Fibre Channel port that functions as a first node on a Fibre Channel link, the Fibre Channel link including a first linklet between the first node and a first repeater, a;
- second linklet between the first repeater and a second repeater, and a third linklet between the second repeater and the second node, the second linklet being significantly longer than the first and third linklets, the method comprising;
receiving at a first inline link device a login request frame transmitted from the first node, wherein the first inline link device is between the first node and the first repeater in the fibre channel link; programming a credit count for the first node contained in the login request frame into the first inline link device for use by an inbound transmitter of the first inline link device to transmit signals toward the first node; replacing the credit count for the first node in the login request frame with a credit count for an inbound receive buffer of the first inline link device, wherein the inbound receive buffer of the first inline link device has a larger credit count than the credit count of the first node and is adapted to receive signals transmitted over the second linklet for the inbound transmitter of the first inline link device to transmit toward the first node; and using an outbound transmitter of the first inline link, transmitting the login request frame with the credit count value of the inbound receive buffer of the first inline link device to the first repeater for transmission across the second linklet toward the second node. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
- second linklet between the first repeater and a second repeater, and a third linklet between the second repeater and the second node, the second linklet being significantly longer than the first and third linklets, the method comprising;
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31. A system for transmitting signals over a fibre channel link, comprising:
a first node, a first repeater, a first inline link device between the first node and the first repeater, a second repeater, and a second node, wherein; the fibre channel link includes a first linklet between the first node and the first repeater, a second linklet between the first repeater and the second repeater, and a third linklet between the second repeater and the second node; the second linklet is significantly longer than the first and third linklets; the first node includes a credit count; the first inline link device includes an outbound receiver adapted to receive a signal from the first node, an outbound transmitter adapted to send a signal to the first repeater for transmission across the second linklet, an inbound receiver adapted to receive a signal transmitted across the second linklet, and an inbound transmitter adapted to transmit a signal to the first node, the inbound receiver having a credit count larger than the credit count of the first node; the first node is adapted to form a login request frame with the credit count for the first node, and transmit the login request frame; and the first inline link device is adapted to receive the login request frame from the first node, program the credit count of the first node contained in the login request frame into a inbound transmitter of the first inline device, and replace the credit count for the first node in the login request frame with a credit count for an inbound receive buffer for the first inline device, and transmit the login request frame to the first repeater for transmission across the second linklet toward the second node. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A system, comprising:
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a fibre channel switch with a plurality of fabric ports; a repeater connected to a selected one of the plurality of fabric ports through a fibre channel linklet, wherein the selected one of the plurality of fabric ports includes a number of credits; and an inline link device connected in the fibre channel linklet between the repeater and the fibre channel switch, the inline link device including an outbound receiver associated with a first number of credits to receive data packets from the fibre channel switch, and an inbound receiver associated with a second number of credits, the second number of credits associated with the inbound receiver being larger than the first number of credits associated with the outbound receiver. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification