Fibre channel to SCSI addressing method and system

• US 6,041,381 A
• Filed: 02/05/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CF DB EZ LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Crossroads Systems (Texas) Incorporated (Crossroads Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoese, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US09/019,448
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 700/5, 710/100, 710/101, 710/129, 714/24
• US Class Current: 710/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4018 with data-width conversion

Abstract

A Fibre Channel to SCSI Addressing method and system is provided. The system associates with a Fibre Channel and a SCSI bus. The system further maintains a Fibre Channel to SCSI routing table (90) and a SCSI to Fibre Channel routing table (92). The system receives a cross bus transfer of data that originates on either the Fibre Channel or the SCSI bus, respectively, and wherein the cross bus transfer is intended for a target on the SCSI bus or Fibre Channel, respectively. The apparatus translates addressing information contained in the cross bus transfer by referencing either the Fibre Channel to SCSI routing table 90 or the SCSI to Fibre Channel routing table 92.

Claims

1. A computer implemented Fibre Channel to SCSI addressing method, comprising:

maintaining a first table of Fibre Channel to SCSI bus routing information;

maintaining a second table of SCSI bus to Fibre Channel routing information;

receiving a cross bus transfer, wherein the cross-bus transfer is initiated by a device on a Fibre Channel or a SCSI bus, respectively, and further wherein the cross bus transfer is intended to be delivered to a target device associated with the SCSI bus or the Fibre Channel, respectively, and further wherein the cross bus transfer contains addressing information that specifies a target for the cross bus transfer; and

translating the addressing information by comparing the addressing information to either the first table or second table, respectively, such that the cross bus transfer can be delivered to the target.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting each device associated with a Fibre Channel; and

creating the first table of SCSI to Fibre Channel routing information such that each device detected on the Fibre Channel is represented in the first table.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting each device associated with a SCSI bus; and

creating the second table of Fibre Channel to SCSI routing information such that each device detected on the SCSI bus is represented in the second table.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first table of Fibre Channel to SCSI routing information comprises data representing at least one FCP LUN value and a SCSI BUS:

TARGET;

LUN value associated with each FCP LUN value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second table of SCSI to Fibre Channel routing information comprises data representing at least one SCSI BUS:

TARGET;

LUN value and an FCP LOOP ID;

LUN value associated with each SCSI BUS;

TARGET;

LUN value.

6. A computer implemented Fibre Channel to SCSI addressing method, comprising:

detecting each device associated with a Fibre Channel;

creating and maintaining a first table of SCSI to Fibre Channel routing information such that each device detected on the Fibre Channel bus is represented in the first table;

detecting each device associated with a SCSI bus;

creating and maintaining a second table of Fibre Channel to SCSI routing information such that each device detected on the SCSI bus is represented in the second table;

receiving a cross bus transfer, wherein the cross-bus transfer is initiated by a device on a Fibre Channel or a SCSI bus, respectively, and further wherein the cross bus transfer is intended to be delivered to a target device associated with the SCSI bus or the Fibre Channel, respectively, and further wherein the cross bus transfer contains addressing information that specifies a target for the cross bus transfer; and

translating the addressing information by comparing the addressing information to either the first table or second table, respectively, such that the cross bus transfer can be delivered to the target.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first table of Fibre Channel to SCSI routing information comprises data representing at least one FCP LUN value and a SCSI BUS:

TARGET;

LUN value associated with each FCP LUN value.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the second table of SCSI to Fibre Channel routing information comprises data representing at least one SCSI BUS:

TARGET;

LUN value and an FCP LOOP ID;

LUN value associated with each SCSI BUS;

TARGET;

LUN value.

9. A Fibre Channel to SCSI bus addressing system, comprising:

a computer data storage device;

a first table of Fibre Channel to SCSI routing information stored on the storage device;

a second table of SCSI to Fibre Channel routing information stored on the storage device; and

a supervisor module associated with the computer data storage device, a SCSI Bus, and a Fibre Channel, wherein the supervisor module is operable;

to receive a cross bus transfer, wherein the cross bus transfer is initiated by a device associated with the Fibre Channel or SCSI bus, respectively, and further wherein the cross bus transfer is intended to be delivered to a target device associated with the SCSI bus or Fibre Channel, respectively, and further wherein the cross bus transfer contains addressing information that specifies a target for the cross bus transfer; and

to translate the addressing information by comparing the addressing information to either the first table or second table, respectively, such that the cross bus transfer can be delivered to the target.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the supervisor module is further operable to:

detect each device associated with a Fibre Channel; and

create the first table of SCSI to Fibre Channel routing information such that each device detected on the Fibre Channel bus is represented in the first table.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the supervisor module is further operable to:

detect each device associated with a SCSI bus; and

create the second table of Fibre Channel to SCSI routing information such that each device detected on the SCSI bus is represented in the second table.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the first table of Fibre Channel to SCSI routing information comprises data representing at least one FCP LUN value and a SCSI BUS:

TARGET;

LUN value associated with each FCP LUN value.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the second table of SCSI to Fibre Channel routing information comprises data representing at least one SCSI BUS:

TARGET;

LUN value and an FCP LOOP ID;

LUN value associated with each SCSI BUS;

TARGET;

LUN value.