RETURNING DOMAIN IDENTIFICATIONS WITHOUT RECONFIGURATION

• US 20090219928A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Desai, Ronak, Kasat, Siddharth, SASSO, CHRISTIAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/357
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4035 in which slots of a TDMA packet structure are assigned based on a contention resolution carried out at a master unit TDM/TDMA multiplex systems per se H04J3/1694; hybrid switching systems H04L12/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/645 Fibre channel identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a technique for returning Domain IDs to a Fibre Channel fabric without a full build fabric (BF) phase is provided. A switch in the fabric may send a principal switch a message requesting the return of one or more Domain IDs assigned to that device. The principal switch may update the list of fabric Domain IDs to remove the Domain IDs identified in the message and send the updated list to devices in the fabric.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a set of one or more Domain Identifiers (DIDs) assigned to a device in a network fabric; and

sending a message to a principal switch of the fabric requesting return of the set of DIDs as available for reassignment without a build fabric phase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a message having a same format as a Request Domain Identifier (RDI) message and including a trigger value indicating the identified DIDs are to be returned.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response to the message; and

in response to receiving the response, updating a local list of fabric Domain Identifiers to remove the identified DIDs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message including an updated list of fabric Domain Identifiers reflecting removal of the identified DIDs; and

updating a local list of fabric Domain Identifiers to reflect the updated list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the principal switch does not support return of DIDs without a build fabric phase; and

in response, initiating a build fabric phase.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified DIDs comprise one or more virtual DIDs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fabric comprises a Fibre Channel fabric.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a response message to a device that sent the message requesting return of the one or more DIDs.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving a message requesting return of one or more Domain Identifiers (DIDs) assigned to a device in a Fibre Channel fabric;

updating a list of fabric Domain Identifiers to remove the one or more DIDs; and

sending the updated list of fabric Domain Identifiers to one or more devices in the fabric.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface for connecting the apparatus to a Fibre Channel fabric; and

logic for sending a message to a principal switch of the fabric requesting return of a set of Domain Identifiers as available for reassignment without a build fabric phase.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the message comprises a message having a same format as a Request Domain Identifier (RDI) message and including a trigger value indicating the identified DIDs are to be returned.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

logic for receiving a response to the message and, in response to receiving the response, updating a local list of fabric Domain Identifiers to remove the identified DIDs.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

logic for receiving a message including an updated list of fabric Domain Identifiers reflecting removal of the identified DIDs and updating a local list of fabric Domain Identifiers to reflect the updated list.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

logic for determining the principal switch does not support return of DIDs without a build fabric phase and, in response to the determination, initiating a build fabric phase.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the fabric is part of a virtual storage area network (VSAN); and

the identified DIDs comprise one or more virtual DIDs.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the apparatus is capable of acting as a principal switch in the fabric; and

the apparatus further comprises logic for, when the apparatus is acting as a principal switch, receiving a message requesting return of one or more Domain Identifiers (DIDs) assigned to a device in the fabric, updating a list of fabric Domain Identifiers to remove the one or more DIDs, and sending the updated list of fabric Domain Identifiers to one or more devices in the fabric.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

logic for, when the apparatus is acting as a principal switch, sending a response message to a device that sent the message requesting return of the one or more DIDs.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface for connecting the apparatus to a network fabric; and

means for sending a message to a principal switch of the fabric requesting return of a set of Domain Identifiers as available for reassignment without a build fabric phase.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for, when the apparatus is acting as a principal switch in the fabric, receiving a message requesting return of one or more Domain Identifiers (DIDs) assigned to a device in the fabric, updating a list of fabric Domain Identifiers to remove the one or more DIDs, and sending the updated list of fabric Domain Identifiers to one or more devices in the fabric.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the message comprises a message having a same format as a Request Domain Identifier (RDI) message and including a trigger value indicating the identified DIDs are to be returned.