Probing device

• US 6,353,612 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guan, Vince, Teow, Kha Sin, Ramsay, Paul, Zhu, Jieming
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US09/100,445
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 370/360, 370/363, 370/364, 370/466, 370/463, 370/449, 370/451, 370/452, 370/252-254, 359/117, 359/120, 359/119, 359/121, 705/44, 709/226, 713/161, 713/168, 713/170
• US Class Current: 370/360
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches

Abstract

A probing device for resolving the limitations of fabric registration by providing a fabric with a system and method for concurrently probing multiple end-devices, which would otherwise be unusable to register with the fabric, to registration information. In addition, by relying upon the probing device, a fabric can avoid requiring any end-devices from having to initiate registration with the fabric.

Claims

1. A system for providing registration services to a plurality of end-devices coupled to a fabric, at least one of the plurality of end-devices lacking functionality to initiate login to a fabric, comprising:

an inquiry module within the fabric for initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login, to receive registration information from the end-device; and

a server module, coupled to the inquiry module, for recording the received registration information corresponding to the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login and providing a querying end-device of the plurality of end-devices with the recorded registration information of the end-device lacking functionality to initiate login.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the server module includes a simple name server module for recording registration information including a symbolic name of each of the plurality of end-devices.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a resource manager module, coupled to the inquiry module, for allocating probing resources to the inquiry module for concurrent probing of the plurality of end-devices coupled to the fabric.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a controller module, coupled to the resource manager module, for controlling the probing of the plurality of end-devices.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a resource manager module, coupled to the inquiry module, for allocating probing resources to the inquiry module for concurrent probing of the plurality of end-devices coupled to the fabric; and

a controller module, coupled to the resource manager module, for controlling the probing of the plurality of end-devices.

6. A Fibre Channel system for providing registration services to a plurality of Fibre Channel compliant end-devices, coupled to a fabric, at least one of the plurality of Fibre-Channel compliant end-devices lacking functionality to initiate login to a fabric, comprising:

an inquiry module within the fabric for initiating login with the at least one Fibre-Channel compliant end-devices lacking functionality to initiate login to a fabric, to receive registration information from the end-device; and

a server module, coupled to the inquiry module, for recording the received registration information corresponding to the at least one Fibre Channel compliant end-device lacking functionality to initiate login and for providing a querying Fibre Channel compliant end-device of the plurality of Fibre Channel compliant end-devices with the recorded registration information of the Fibre-Channel compliant end-device lacking functionality to initiate login.

7. The Fibre Channel system of claim 6 further comprising:

a resource manager module, coupled to the inquiry module for allocating probing resources to the inquiry module for concurrent probing of the plurality of Fibre Channel compliant end-devices coupled to the fabric.

8. A method for providing registration services to a plurality of end-devices coupled to a fabric, at least one of the plurality of end-devices lacking functionality to initiate login to a fabric comprising the steps of:

initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login, to receive registration information from the end-device; and

recording within a server module the received registration information corresponding to the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login and providing a querying end-device of the plurality of end-devices with the recorded registration information of the end-device lacking functionality to initiate login.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login comprises the step of identifying whether a first end-device of the plurality of end-devices is compliant with a communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login comprises the step of identifying whether a first end-device of the plurality of end-devices is a target end-device.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login comprises the step of transmitting an inquiry command to a first end-device of the plurality of end-devices.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login comprises the steps of:

identifying whether a first end-device of the plurality of end-devices is compliant with a communication protocol;

identifying whether a first end-device of the plurality of end-devices is a target end-device; and

responding to identifying the first end-device as compliant with a communication protocol and a target end-device by transmitting an inquiry command to the first end-device of the plurality of end-devices.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of logging into each of the plurality of end-devices.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the registration information of each of the plurality of end-devices includes a symbolic name of each of the plurality of end-devices.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

allocating probing resources for concurrently probing the plurality of end-devices coupled to the fabric.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein allocating probing resources comprises the step of:

maintaining a bitmap wherein the bitmap is altered to indicate which end-devices have been allocated probing resources.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein allocating probing resources comprises the step of allocating an information unit to a first end-device of the plurality of end-devices.

18. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

triggering the initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login upon detecting an active switch port.

19. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

allocating probing resources for concurrently probing the plurality of end-devices coupled to the fabric; and

triggering the initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login upon detecting an active switch port.

20. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

logging into each of the plurality of end-devices;

allocating probing resources for concurrently probing the plurality of end-devices coupled to the fabric; and

triggering the initiating login with the at least one end-device lacking functionality to initiate login upon detecting an active switch port.