METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROGRAMMABLE DATA DEPENDANT NETWORK ROUTING
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Abstract
A method and system for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes, a look up table that is indexed by domain, area, a virtual storage area number and/or AL_PA values of frames entering the fibre channel switch element; and logic for generating a column select signal that is used to select a column from the look up table for frame routing information The switch element also includes logic for validating a frame route by performing word depth match. A register is used to load look up table entries and column entries are selected based on the column select signal. The method includes, indexing a look up table with plural fibre channel frame header values; selecting a table value for routing a fibre channel frame based on a column select signal; and routing the frame if a route is valid.
33 Citations
35 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
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17. A method for routing frames via a network element having a plurality of ports, comprising:
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(a) receiving a frame at a port of the network element; (b) indexing a look up table by using one or more of (i) a domain value for routing the frame to another network element, (ii) an area value for routing the frame to a port of the network element that received the frame, (iii) a Virtual Storage Area Network identifier (VSAN#) for routing the frame within a Virtual Storage Area Network, and (iv) an Arbitrated Loop Physical Address (AL_PA) value included in a header of the frame;
wherein the look up table includes a plurality of columns for storing destination information indexed by one or more of the Domain value, the Area value, the Virtual Storage Network identifier and the Arbitrated Loop Physical Address;(c) selecting a column value from the look up table based on a column select signal generated by a hardware logic of the network element; and (d) based on the selected column value, routing the frame if a route is valid. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A network element for routing frames, configured to select a route from amongst a plurality of routes, the network element comprising:
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at least one port for receiving and transmitting a frame; a look up table having a plurality of columns indexed by one or more of (i) a Domain value for routing the frame to another network element, (ii) an Area value for routing the frame within the network element that received the frame, (iii) a Virtual Storage Area Network identifier (VSAN#) for routing the frame within a Virtual Storage Area Network, and (iv) an Arbitrated Loop Physical Address (AL_PA) value; and a hardware logic that receives a plurality of inputs and based on one of the inputs, a column select signal is generated to select a value from one of the plurality of columns to route the frame, if the route based on the selected column is valid. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A network system, comprising:
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a computing system for sending and receiving information; at least one network element operationally coupled to the computing system for routing frames and configured to select a route from amongst a plurality of routes, where the network element includes; at least one port for receiving and transmitting a frame having a frame header; a look up table with a plurality of columns that is indexed by one or more of (i) a domain value for routing the frame to another network element, (ii) an area value for routing the frame to a port of the network element that received the frame, (iii) a Virtual Storage Area Network identifier (VSAN#) for routing the frame within a Virtual Storage Area Network, and (iv) an Arbitrated Loop Physical Address (AL_PA) value; and a hardware logic that receives a plurality of inputs and based on one of the inputs generates a column select signal, wherein the column select signal is used to select a column from the one of the plurality of columns of the look up table to route frames, if a route based on the selected column is valid. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification