Method and system for using an in-line credit extender with a host bus adapter
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A storage area network (“
- SAN”
), comprising;
a host bus adapter (HBA) of a host computing system operationally coupled with a credit extender, wherein upon HBA initialization, the HBA determines a buffer storage capacity of the credit extender and the HBA transmits a number of R_RDYs, a primitive to indicate credit availability, to at least one network device, where the number of R_RDYs are based on the buffer storage capacity of the credit extender instead of a buffer storage capacity of the HBA; and
the credit extender receives frames directly from the network device via a Fibre Channel network instead of the HBA directly receiving the frames; and
the credit extender sends the received frames to the HBA after the HBA sends a signal to the credit extender indicating that buffer space is available in a receive buffer of the HBA.
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Abstract
A storage area network (“SAN”) and a system is provided. The SAN includes, a host bus adapter operationally coupled with a credit extender, wherein the credit extender receives frames from a Fibre Channel network and sends the received frames to the HBA based on buffer space available in the HBA. The HBA notifies other Fibre Channel ports of buffer space available in the credit extender. The HBA sends a signal to the credit extender notifying the credit extender of available buffer space in the HBA. The HBA includes a management port for interfacing the HBA with the credit extender.
215 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A storage area network (“
- SAN”
), comprising;a host bus adapter (HBA) of a host computing system operationally coupled with a credit extender, wherein upon HBA initialization, the HBA determines a buffer storage capacity of the credit extender and the HBA transmits a number of R_RDYs, a primitive to indicate credit availability, to at least one network device, where the number of R_RDYs are based on the buffer storage capacity of the credit extender instead of a buffer storage capacity of the HBA; and
the credit extender receives frames directly from the network device via a Fibre Channel network instead of the HBA directly receiving the frames; and
the credit extender sends the received frames to the HBA after the HBA sends a signal to the credit extender indicating that buffer space is available in a receive buffer of the HBA. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- SAN”
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5. A system for transferring data in a Fibre Channel network, comprising:
a host bus adapter (HBA) of a host computing system operationally coupled with a credit extender, wherein upon HBA initialization the HBA determines a buffer storage capacity of the credit extender and the HBA transmits a number of R_RDYs, a primitive to indicate credit availability, to at least one network device, where the number of R_RDYs are based on the buffer storage capacity of the credit extender instead of a buffer storage capacity of the HBA; and
the credit extender receives frames directly from the network device via a Fibre Channel network instead of the HBA directly receiving the frames; and
the credit extender sends the received frames to the HBA after the HBA sends a signal to the credit extender indicating that buffer space is available in a receive buffer of the HBA.- View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A host bus adapter (“
- HBA”
) of a host computing system, comprising;a management port for interfacing the HBA with a credit extender, wherein upon HBA initialization, the HBA determines a buffer storage capacity of the credit extender and the HBA transmits a number of R_RDYs, a primitive to indicate credit availability, to at least one network device, where the number of R_RDYs are based on the buffer storage capacity of the credit extender instead of a buffer storage capacity of the HBA; and
the credit extender receives frames directly from the network device via a Fibre Channel network instead of the HBA directly receiving the frames; and
the credit extender sends the received frames to the HBA after the HBA sends a signal to the credit extender indicating that buffer space is available in a receive buffer of the HBA. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
- HBA”
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14. A method for receiving network information in a storage area network, comprising:
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determining, by a host bus adapter (HBA) a buffer capacity of a credit extender coupled to the HBA; sending the HBA a number of primitives at least one network device that communicates with the HBA indicating available buffer space of the credit extender to the network device and the number of primitives that are sent are based on the buffer storage capacity of the credit extender instead of a buffer storage capacity of the HBA; notifying the credit extender of available buffer space in a receive buffer of the HBA; receiving a network frame from a network device and the network frame is received directly by the credit extender, instead of the HBA; and sending the network frame to the HBA and the network frame is processed by a receive buffer processor, instead of a main processor for the HBA. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification