System for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop to a plurality of logical sub-loops using segmentation router as a master to cause the segmentation of physical addresses

• US 6,314,488 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1998
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CF DB EZ LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Crossroads Systems (Texas) Incorporated (Crossroads Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Brian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/076,244
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 710/240, 710/241, 710/243, 710/244, 710/40, 710/113, 710/131, 709/238, 709/244, 709/249, 709/251, 370/398, 370/399, 370/452, 370/453, 370/457, 370/461, 370/462
• US Class Current: 710/240
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/433 with asynchronous transmission, e.g. token ring, register insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4637 Interconnected ring systems

Abstract

A segmented fiber channel communications system includes a segmentation router, including a plurality of ports. Control instructions associated with the segmentation router establish the segmentation router as a master router by initializing each of at least a predetermined subset of the plurality of ports on a fiber channel arbitrated loop associated with the segmentation router. This causes the segmentation router to win the LISM process performed by the fiber channel arbitrated loop. Control instructions further includes instructions for transmitting LIPA, LIHA, and LISA frames to the fiber channel arbitrated loop from each of the ports. Transmission begins with LIPA frames having all but the LIPA frame range of address bits set to 1. This prevents other network loop ports attached to a router other than the master router from acquiring a duplicate address. The system then establishes a plurality of sub-loops each associated with a predetermined set of physical addresses.

Claims

1. A segmented fibre channel communications system, comprising:

a segmentation router comprising a plurality of ports;

a plurality of physical addresses associated with said segmentation router;

control instructions associated with said segmentation router for establishing said segmentation router as a master router by initializing each of at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports on a fibre channel arbitrated loop associated with said segmentation router, thereby causing said segmentation router to win the LISM process performed by said fibre channel arbitrated loop and causing the segmentation of said physical addresses.

2. The segmented fiber channel communications system of claim 1, wherein said control instructions further comprising instructions for transmitting LIPA, LIHA, and LISA frames to the fibre channel arbitrated loop from each of said at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports, said transmission beginning with LIPA frames having all but the LIPA frame range of address bits set to 1, thereby preventing other network loop ports attached to a router other than said master router from acquiring a duplicate address, thereby establishing a plurality of sub-loops each associated with a predetermined set of physical addresses.

3. The segmented fiber channel communications system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of physical addresses form a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of segmented end stations.

4. The segmented fiber channel communications system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of physical addresses form a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of segmented storage devices.

5. The segmented fiber channel communications system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of physical addresses form a plurality of sub-loops operable simultaneously to effectively raise the total data flow rate throughout said fibre channel arbitrated loop.

6. The segmented fiber channel communications system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of physical addresses form a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of physical addresses associated for preferential locality of operations.

7. The segmented fiber channel communications system of claim 1, wherein said LIPA, LIHA, AND LISA frames are segmented according to a predetermined number of segmentation loops.

8. A method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop for providing simultaneously multiple conversations and multiplicative bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

dividing available arbitrated loop physical addresses on a plurality of sub-Loops using a segmentation router to generate a perceived contiguous loop by performing the steps of initializing a plurality of ports on the segmenting router on the fibre channel arbitrated loop so that the segmenting router becomes a select master router and wins the loop initiator slave-master arbitrated process;

sending LIPA, LIHA, LISA frames from the segmenting router;

so that a segmentation router bytes except the range of address bits set to 1 to prevent other NL-ports attached to other routers from acquiring a duplicated address;

continuing this process until each router has completed the process thereby making all addresses attached to the router unique so that the router can route frames from one “

sub-loop”

to another.

9. The method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop of claim 8, further comprising the steps of transmitting LIPA, LIHA, and LISA frames to the fibre channel arbitrated loop from each of said at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports, said transmission beginning with LIPA frames having all but the LIPA frame range of address bits set to 1, thereby preventing other network loop ports attached to a router other than said master router from acquiring a duplicate address, thereby establishing a plurality of sub-loops each associated with a predetermined set of physical addresses.

10. The method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop of claim 8, further comprising the step of forming from said plurality of physical addresses a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of segmented end stations.

11. The method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop of claim 8, further comprising the step of forming from said plurality of physical addresses a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of segmented storage devices.

12. The method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop of claim 8, further comprising the step of forming said plurality of physical addresses as a plurality of sub-loops operable simultaneously to effectively raise the total data flow rate throughout said fibre channel arbitrated loop.

13. The method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop of claim 8, further comprising the step of forming said plurality of physical addresses as a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of physical addresses associated for preferential locality of operations.

14. The method for segmenting a fibre channel arbitrated loop of claim 8, further comprising the step of segmenting said LIPA, LIHA, AND LISA frames according to a predetermined number of segmentation loops.

15. A method for forming a segmented fibre channel communications system, comprising the steps of:

forming a segmentation router comprising a plurality of ports;

forming a plurality of physical addresses associated with said segmentation router;

forming control instructions associated with said segmentation router for establishing said segmentation router as a master router by initializing each of at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports on a fibre channel arbitrated Loop associated with said segmentation router, thereby causing said segmentation router to win the LISM process performed by said fibre channel arbitrated loop and causing the segmentation of said physical addresses.

16. The segmented fiber channel communications system forming method of claim 15, further comprising the step of forming said control instructions to further comprising instructions for transmitting LIPA, LIHA, and LISA frames to the fibre channel arbitrated loop from each of said at least a predetermined subset of said plurality of ports, said transmission beginning with LIPA frames having all but the LIPA frame range of address bits set to 1, thereby preventing other network loop ports attached to a router other than said master router from acquiring a duplicate address, thereby establishing a plurality of sub-loops each associated with a predetermined set of physical addresses.

17. The segmented fiber channel communications system forming method of claim 15, further comprising the step of forming said plurality of physical addresses to comprise a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of segmented end stations.

18. The segmented fiber channel communications system forming method of claim 15, further comprising the step of forming said plurality of physical addresses to comprise a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of segmented storage devices.

19. The segmented fiber channel communications system forming method of claim 15, further comprising the step of forming said plurality of physical addresses to comprise a plurality of sub-loops operable simultaneously to effectively raise the total data flow rate throughout said fibre channel arbitrated loop.

20. The segmented fiber channel communications system of claim 15, further comprising the step of forming said plurality of physical addresses to comprise a plurality of sub-loops comprising a plurality of physical addresses associated for preferential locality of operations.