Method and apparatus for implementing virtual circuits in a fibre channel system
First Claim
1. In a component for being disposed in a communication system including at least one other component, an apparatus comprising:
- means for establishing a virtual connection through the communication system between the component and the at least one other component;
receiving means for receiving information frames transmitted over the virtual connection from the at least one other component;
transmitting means for transmitting information frames over the virtual connection from the component to the at least one other component; and
a state machine, coupled to the transmitting means, that controls use of the virtual connection by the component, the state machine defining a live state of the virtual connection wherein a minimum bandwidth is guaranteed for transmission of information frames between the component and the at least one other component over the virtual connection, the state machine further defining a dormant state of the virtual connection wherein the minimum bandwidth is not guaranteed for the transmission of information frames between the component and the at least one other component over the virtual connection.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for removing a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system that includes at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices. An error in the virtual connection can be detected in at least one of the first and second devices and the at least one switch, with the detector transmitting a request to remove the virtual connection. The virtual connection then is removed from the communication system in response to the transmission of the request. The request to remove the virtual circuit may be in the form of an information frame transmitted over the virtual connection, with each system component being removed from the virtual circuit upon its processing of the information frame. Additionally, a method and apparatus for operating the virtual connection between the first and second devices. The virtual connection includes a live state in which information frames are transmitted between the first and second devices over the virtual connection at a minimum guaranteed bandwidth. The virtual connection further includes a dormant state wherein information frames are not transmitted over the virtual connection and the bandwidth guaranteed to the connection is made available to other connections in the system.
146 Citations
29 Claims
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1. In a component for being disposed in a communication system including at least one other component, an apparatus comprising:
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means for establishing a virtual connection through the communication system between the component and the at least one other component; receiving means for receiving information frames transmitted over the virtual connection from the at least one other component; transmitting means for transmitting information frames over the virtual connection from the component to the at least one other component; and a state machine, coupled to the transmitting means, that controls use of the virtual connection by the component, the state machine defining a live state of the virtual connection wherein a minimum bandwidth is guaranteed for transmission of information frames between the component and the at least one other component over the virtual connection, the state machine further defining a dormant state of the virtual connection wherein the minimum bandwidth is not guaranteed for the transmission of information frames between the component and the at least one other component over the virtual connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for removing a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system, the communication system including at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) detecting in at least one of the first and second devices and the at least one switch an error in the virtual connection; (B) transmitting a request to remove the virtual connection from the at least one of the first and second devices and the at least one switch in which the error is detected; (C) removing the virtual connection from the communication system in response to transmission of the request; wherein step (B) includes transmitting the request to remove the virtual connection as an information frame over the virtual connection; and wherein the at least one of the first and second devices and the at least one switch in which the error is detected is the first device, and wherein steps (B) and (C) include steps of; transmitting the information frame from the first device to the at least one switch and the second device; removing the first device from the virtual connection in response to detection of the error; removing the second device from the virtual connection in response to receipt of the information frame at the second device; and removing the at least one switch from the virtual connection in response to receipt of the information frame at the at least one switch. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for removing a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system, the communication system including at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) detecting in at least one of the first and second devices and the at least one switch an error in the virtual connection; (B) transmitting a request to remove the virtual connection from the at least one of the first and second devices and the at least one switch in which the error is detected; (C) removing the virtual connection from the communication system in response to transmission of the request; wherein step (B) includes transmitting the request to remove the virtual connection as an information frame over the virtual connection;
wherein the at least one of the first and second devices and the at least one switch in which the error is detected is the at least one switch, and wherein steps (B) and (C) include steps of;transmitting the information frame from the at least one switch to the first and second devices; removing the at least one switch from the virtual connection in response to detection of the error; removing the first device from the virtual connection in response to receipt of the information frame at the first device; and
removing the second device from the virtual connection in response to receipt of the information frame at the second device. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for removing a virtual-connection between first and second devices in a communication system wherein the communication system includes at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) assigning a first identifier to the first device, (B) assigning a second identifier to the second device, (C) assigning a third identifier to the virtual-connection, (D) detecting in the at least one switch an error in the virtual-connection; (E) transmitting a request-to-remove the virtual-connection from the at least one switch in which the error is detected; (F) removing the virtual-connection from the communication system in response to transmission of the request-to-remove; wherein step (E) includes transmitting the request-to-remove the virtual-connection as an information-frame, wherein step (E) includes including the first, second and third-identifiers in the information-frame; and
wherein step (E) includes the step of transmitting the information-frame from the at least one switch to the first and second devices;
wherein step (F) includes the steps of;removing the at least one switch from the virtual-connection in response to detection of the error; determining in the first device whether the first, second and third identifiers in the information-frame received at the first device respectively match the first, second and third identifiers respectively assigned to the first device, the second device and the virtual-connection, and when they do, removing the first device from the virtual-connection; and determining in the second device whether the first, second and third identifiers in the information frame received at the second device respectively match the first, second and third identifiers respectively assigned to the first device, the second device and the virtual-connection, and when they do, removing the second device from the virtual-connection. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A communication system including an apparatus and a plurality of interconnected components, comprising:
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establishing-means for establishing a virtual-connection between the apparatus and at least one of the plurality of interconnected components; assigning-means for assigning the virtual-connection a first identifier, for assigning the apparatus a second identifier, and for assigning the at least one of the plurality of interconnected components a third identifier; detecting-means for detecting an error in the virtual-connection; responsive-means responsive to the detecting-means for transmitting from the at least one of the plurality of interconnected components a request-to-remove an identifier-specified-virtual-connection from the communication system; the request-to-remove the identifier-specified-virtual-connection from the communication system being an information frame that includes first, second and third identifiers; receiving-means for receiving the request-to-remove the identifier-specified-virtual-connection from the communication system; determining means responsive to the receiving-means for determining whether the virtual-connection established between the apparatus and the at least one of the plurality of components is the identifier-specified-virtual-connection; and removal-means responsive to the determining-means for removing the apparatus from the virtual-connection when the virtual-connection that is established between the apparatus and the at least one of the plurality of interconnected components is determined to be the identifier-specified-virtual-connection.
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17. A method for removing a virtual-connection established between a first device and a second device in a communication system, wherein the communication system includes at least one switch virtually connection the first and second devices, comprising the steps of:
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assigning a first-identifier to the first device; assigning a second-identifier to the second device; assigning a third-identifier to the virtual connection, transmitting an information-frame over the virtual-connection communication system; the information-frame including the first-identifier as a first-field, including the second-identifier as a second-field, and including the third-identifier as a third-field; receiving the information-frame at a given one of the first device, the second device, or the at least one switch; examining, at the given one of the first device, second device, or the at least one switch, the received information-frame in order to determine whether the first-field matches the first-identifier, whether the second-field matches the second-identifier, and whether the third-field matches the third-identifier; and removing the given one of the first device, the second device, or the at least one switch from the virtual connection only when the first-field matches the first-identifier, the second-field matches the second-identifier, and the third-field matches the third-identifier. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for operating a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system, the communication system including at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) establishing the virtual connection between the first and second devices; (B) entering a live state of the virtual connection; (C) transmitting information frames over the virtual connection between the first and second devices in the live state; (C) transitioning the virtual connection from the live state to a dormant state wherein no information frames are transmitted between the first and second devices over the virtual connection; wherein step (A) includes a step of establishing the virtual connection in response to a request transmitted by the first device; and wherein step (A) includes steps of; entering a pending state of the virtual connection upon transmission from the first device of the request to establish the virtual connection; and establishing the virtual connection when the request is accepted by the second device and the at least one switch. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for operating a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system, the communication system including at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) establishing the virtual connection between the first and second devices; (B) entering a live sate of the virtual connection; (C) transmitting information frames over the virtual connection between the first and second devices in the live state; (D) transitioning the virtual connection from the live state to a dormant state wherein no information frames are transmitted between the first and second devices over the virtual connection; and (E) providing a state machine in at least one of the at least one switch and the first and second devices that controls entry of the virtual connection into the live and dormant states at the at last one of the at least one switch and the first and second devices.
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23. A method for operating a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system, the communication system including at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) establishing the virtual connection between first and second devices; (B) entering a live state of the virtual connection; (C) transmitting information frames over the virtual connection between the first and second devices in the live state; (D) transitioning the virtual connection from the live state to a dormant state wherein no information frames are transmitted between the firsts and second devices over the virtual connection; (E) transitioning the virtual connection from the dormant state to the live state; and (F) after transitioning from the dormant state to the live state, transmitting additional information frames over the virtual connection between the first and second devices; wherein step (A) requires a first time period to establish the virtual connection, and wherein step (E) requires a second time period to transition from the dormant state to the live state of the virtual connection, and wherein the second time period is less than the first time period.
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24. A method for operating a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system, the communication system including at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) establishing the virtual connection between the first and second devices; (B) entering a live state of the virtual connection; (C) transmitting information frames over the virtual connection between the first and second devices in the live state; (D) transitioning the virtual connection from the live state to a dormant state wherein no information frames are transmitted between the first and second devices over the virtual connection; wherein step (A) includes a step of establishing the virtual connection in response to a request transmitted by the first device; and
wherein step (A) includes steps of;entering a pending state of the virtual connection upon transmission of the request from the first device to establish the virtual connection; and inhibiting establishment of the virtual connection when the request is rejected by either of the second device and the at least one connection.
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25. A method for operating a virtual connection between first and second devices in a communication system, the communication system including at least one switch virtually connecting the first and second devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) establishing the virtual connection between the first and second devices; (B) entering a live state of the virtual connection; (C) transmitting information frames over the virtual connection between the first and second devices in the live state; (D) transitioning the virtual connection from the live state to a dormant state wherein no information frames are transmitted between the first and second devices over the virtual connection; wherein step (A) includes establishing the virtual connection to have a minimum bandwidth guaranteed, and wherein step (D) includes making the minimum bandwidth guaranteed for the virtual connection available for use by other connections in the communication system while the virtual connection is in the dormant state. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification