System and method for providing proxy and translation domains in a fibre channel router

• US 7,466,712 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chung, Daniel Ji Yong Park, Makishima, Dennis Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aga; Sori A
• Application Number:
  US10/903,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20060023707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures

Abstract

A Fiber Channel router used to join fabrics. EX_ports are used to connect to the fabrics. The EX_port joins the fabric but the router will not merge into the fabric. Ports in the Fiber Channel router can be in a fabric, but other ports can be connected to other fabrics. Fiber Channel routers can be interconnected using a backbone fabric. Global, interfabric and encapsulation headers are developed to allow routing by conventional Fiber Channel switch devices in the backbone fabric and simplify Fiber Channel router routing. Phantom domains and devices must be developed for each of the fabrics being interconnected. Front phantom domains are present at each port directly connected to a fabric. Each of these is then connected to at least one translate phantom domain. Zoning is accomplished by use of a special LSAN zoning naming convention. This allows each administrator to independently define devices are accessible.

Claims

1. A system for routing packets comprising:

a first fabric having at least one domain;

a first device connected to said first fabric;

a second fabric having at least one domain;

a second device connected to said second fabric;

a routing system connected to said first and second fabrics for allowing said first and second devices to communicate, said routing system providing a proxy of said second device in said first fabric for addressing by said first device and a proxy of said first device in said second fabric for addressing by said second device, said routing system translating addresses in packets addressed to said second device proxy by said first device as being for said second device from said first device proxy and translating addresses in packets addressed to said first device proxy by said second device as being for said first device from said second device proxy, said routing system having a first port connected to said first fabric and a second port connected to said second fabric, said routing system presenting said first port as a first domain in said first fabric and said second port as a second domain in said second fabric, said routing system further presenting a third domain in said first fabric connected to said first domain, with said second device proxy connected to said third domain, and presenting a fourth domain in said second fabric connected to said second domain with said first device proxy connected to said fourth domain.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said routing system comprises:

a first router connected to said first fabric;

a second router connected to said second fabric; and

a third fabric connected to said first and second routers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said routing system further comprises:

a third router connected to said first and third fabrics, and

wherein said first port is in said first router, said second port is in said second router and having a third port in said third router, said third port being presented as a fifth domain in said first fabric, said fifth domain connected to said third domain.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first, second, third and fourth domains are virtual domains and said connections between said first and third domains and said second and fourth domains are virtual connections.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said first port is in said first router, said second port is in said second router and there is a third port in said first router, said third port being presented as a fifth domain in said first fabric, said fifth domain connected to said third domain.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said routing system comprises a first router, wherein said firsts and second ports are in said first router.

7. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a third fabric having at least one domain and connected to said routing system; and

a third device connected to said third fabric, and

wherein said routing system provides a proxy of said third device in said first fabric for addressing by said first device, a proxy of said third device in said second fabric for addressing by said second device, a proxy of said first device in said third fabric for addressing by said third device and a proxy of said second device in said third fabric for addressing by said third device, said routing system further having a third port connected to said third fabric, said routing system translating addresses in packets addressed to said third device first fabric proxy by said first device as being for said third device from said first device third fabric proxy, translating addresses in packets addressed to said third device second fabric proxy by said second device as being for said third device from said second device third proxy, translating addresses in packets addressed to said first device third fabric proxy by said third device as being for said first device from said third device first fabric proxy and translating addresses in packets addressed to said second device third fabric proxy by said third device as being for said second device from said third device second fabric proxy, said routing system presenting said third port as a fifth domain in said third fabric, said routing system further presenting a sixth domain in said third fabric connected to said fifth domain, a seventh domain in said third fabric connected to said fifth domain, an eighth domain in said first fabric connected to said first domain and a ninth domain in said second fabric connected to said second domain, with said first device third fabric proxy connected to said sixth domain, said second device third fabric proxy connected to said seventh domain, said third device first fabric proxy connected to said eighth domain and said third device second fabric proxy connected to said ninth domain.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said routing system comprises:

a first router connected to said first fabric;

a second router connected to said second fabric;

a third router connected to said third fabric; and

a fourth fabric connected to said first, second and third routers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said first to ninth domains are virtual domains and said various connections among said first to ninth domains are virtual connections.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said routing system comprises:

a first router connected to said first and second fabrics;

a second router connected to said third fabric; and

a fourth fabric connected to said first and second routers.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said routing system comprises a first router and wherein said first, second and third ports are in said first router.

12. A routing system for routing packets between a first device connected to a first fabric and a second device connected to a second fabric, the routing system comprising:

a first port for connection to the first fabric;

a second port for connection to the second fabric;

a proxy device unit providing a proxy of the second device in the first fabric for addressing by the first device and a proxy of the first device in the second fabric for address by the second device;

a domain presenter for presenting said first port as a first domain in the first fabric, said second port as a second domain in the second fabric, a third domain in the first fabric connected to said first domain and a fourth domain in the second fabric connected to the second domain, said second device proxy connected to said fourth domain and said first device proxy connected to said third domain; and

an address translator for translating addresses in packets addressed to said second device proxy by said first device as being for said second device from said first device proxy and translating addresses in packets addressed to said first device proxy by said second device as being for said first device from said second device proxy.

13. The routing system of claim 12, further comprising:

a first router for connection to the first fabric;

a second router for connection to the second fabric; and

a third fabric connected to said first and second routers.

14. The routing system of claim 13, further comprising:

a third port for connection to the first fabric; and

a third router for connection to the first fabric,

wherein said domain presenter presents said third port as a fifth domain in the first fabric and said fifth domain is connected to said third domain.

15. The routing system of claim 14, wherein said first, second, third and fourth domains are virtual domains and said connections between said first and third domains and said second and fourth domains are virtual connections.

16. The routing system of claim 13, further comprising a third port for connection to the first fabric and wherein said domain presenter presents said third port as a fifth domain in the first fabric and said fifth domain is connected to said third domain.

17. The routing system of claim 12, further comprising a first router, with said first and second ports in said first router.

18. The routing system of claim 12, for further routing packets between a third device connected to a third fabric and the first and second devices, the routing system further comprising a third port for connection to the third fabric, and

wherein said proxy device unit provides a proxy of said third device in said first fabric for addressing by said first device, a proxy of said third device in said second fabric for addressing by said second device, a proxy of said first device in said third fabric for addressing by said third device and a proxy of said second device in said third fabric for addressing by said third device,

wherein said domain presenter presents a sixth domain in said third fabric connected to said fifth domain, a seventh domain in said third fabric connected to said fifth domain, an eighth domain in said first fabric connected to said first domain and a ninth domain in said second fabric connected to said second domain, with said first device third fabric proxy connected to said sixth domain, said second device third fabric proxy connected to said seventh domain, said third device first fabric proxy connected to said eighth domain and said third device second fabric proxy connected to said ninth domain, and

wherein said address translator translates addresses in packets addressed to said third device first fabric proxy by the first device as being for the third device from said first device third fabric proxy, translating addresses in packets addressed to said third device second fabric proxy by the second device as being for the third device from said second device third proxy, translating addresses in packets addressed to said first device third fabric proxy by the third device as being for the first device from said third device first fabric proxy and translating addresses in packets addressed to the second device third fabric proxy by the third device as being for the second device from said third device second fabric proxy.

19. The routing system of claim 18, further comprising:

a first router for connection to the first fabric;

a second router for connection to the second fabric;

a third router for connection to the third fabric; and

a fourth fabric connected to said first, second and third routers.

20. The routing system of claim 19, wherein said first to ninth domains are virtual domains and said various connections among said first to ninth domains are virtual connections.

21. The routing system of claim 18, further comprising:

a first router for connection to the first and second fabrics;

a second router for connection to the third fabric; and

a fourth fabric connected to said first and second routers.

22. The routing system of claim 12, further comprising a first router and wherein said first, second and third ports are in said first router.

23. A method for routing packets between a first device connected to a first fabric and a second device connected to a second fabric, the method comprising:

providing a proxy of the second device in the first fabric for addressing by the first device and a proxy of the first device in the second fabric for address by the second device;

presenting a first port as a first domain in the first fabric, a second port as a second domain in the second fabric, a third domain in the first fabric connected to said first domain and a fourth domain in the second fabric connected to the second domain, said second device proxy connected to said fourth domain and said first device proxy connected to said third domain; and

translating addresses in packets addressed to said second device proxy by the first device as being for the second device from said first device proxy and translating addresses in packets addressed to said first device proxy by the second device as being for the first device from said second device proxy.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising presenting a third port as a fifth domain in the first fabric and said fifth domain is connected to said third domain.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said first, second, third and fourth domains are virtual domains and said connections between said first and third domains and said second and fourth domains are virtual connections.

26. The method of claim 23, for further routing packets between a third device connected to a third fabric and the first and second devices, the method further comprising:

providing a proxy of the third device in the first fabric for addressing by the first device, a proxy of the third device in the second fabric for addressing by the second device, a proxy of the first device in the third fabric for addressing by the third device and a proxy of the second device in the third fabric for addressing by the third device,

presenting a sixth domain in the third fabric connected to said fifth domain, a seventh domain in the third fabric connected to said fifth domain, an eighth domain in the first fabric connected to said first domain and a ninth domain in the second fabric connected to said second domain, with said first device third fabric proxy connected to said sixth domain, said second device third fabric proxy connected to said seventh domain, said third device first fabric proxy connected to said eighth domain and said third device second fabric proxy connected to said ninth domain, and

translating addresses in packets addressed to said third device first fabric proxy by the first device as being for the third device from said first device third fabric proxy, translating addresses in packets addressed to said third device second fabric proxy by the second device as being for the third device from said second device third proxy, translating addresses in packets addressed to said first device third fabric proxy by the third device as being for the first device from said third device first fabric proxy and translating addresses in packets addressed to the second device third fabric proxy by the third device as being for the second device from said third device second fabric proxy.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said first to ninth domains are virtual domains and said various connections among said first to ninth domains are virtual connections.