Programmable pseudo virtual lanes for fibre channel systems
First Claim
1. A method for assigning credit to a plurality of pseudo virtual lanes (“
- PVLs”
) for a fibre channel switch element, comprising;
assigning an initial priority for each of the plurality of PVLs used by the fibre channel switch element;
monitoring credit assigned to each of the plurality of PVLs to transmit frames;
monitoring a transmission wait count for each of the plurality of PVLs, the transmit wait count indicating a time when a PVL is not able to transmit frames;
adjusting the initial priority for the PVL if credit assigned to the PVL has reached a threshold value;
adjusting the initial priority based on whether the transmission wait count for each of the plurality of PVLs has exceeded a threshold value providing an indicia for lane congestion;
receiving a primitive (R RDY) from a receiving port indicating that the receiving port has space available to store a frame; and
assigning the received R_RDY to a PVL from among the plurality of PVLs based on a PVL distribution scheme such that each PVL, regardless of PVL priority has access to a minimum bandwidth for transmitting and receiving Fibre Channel frames.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and switch element for assigning priority to pseudo virtual lanes (“PVL”) using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The method includes, assigning received R_RDYs based on a PVL distribution scheme; and determining traffic congestion on a PVL if there is no credit available to transfer frames from the PVL. A minimum bandwidth feature is enabled to avoid lower priority PVLs from getting no credit for transmitting frames; and distributing credit and R_RDYs based on frame age bits, wherein a lower priority PVL gets credit if a frame is waiting in the PVL for a longer duration compared to a higher priority PVL. The switch element includes, a PVL module having credit counters for plural PVLs; and a timer that monitors frame traffic for each PVL lane. If a PVL gets congested, then a state machine adjusts priority of R_RDY distribution scheme of other PVLs to transmit frames.
260 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for assigning credit to a plurality of pseudo virtual lanes (“
- PVLs”
) for a fibre channel switch element, comprising;assigning an initial priority for each of the plurality of PVLs used by the fibre channel switch element; monitoring credit assigned to each of the plurality of PVLs to transmit frames; monitoring a transmission wait count for each of the plurality of PVLs, the transmit wait count indicating a time when a PVL is not able to transmit frames; adjusting the initial priority for the PVL if credit assigned to the PVL has reached a threshold value; adjusting the initial priority based on whether the transmission wait count for each of the plurality of PVLs has exceeded a threshold value providing an indicia for lane congestion; receiving a primitive (R RDY) from a receiving port indicating that the receiving port has space available to store a frame; and assigning the received R_RDY to a PVL from among the plurality of PVLs based on a PVL distribution scheme such that each PVL, regardless of PVL priority has access to a minimum bandwidth for transmitting and receiving Fibre Channel frames. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- PVLs”
Specification