Interconnecting network processors with heterogeneous fabrics

• US 7,573,876 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lebizay, Gerald, Oliver, Neal C, Gish, David W
• Primary Examiner(s): CHO, HONG SOL
• Application Number:
  US10/313,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/401, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.6, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus to perform protocol translation for a modular system may be described wherein a first packet created in accordance with a first protocol is received, a packet type for the first packet is determined, a second protocol based on the packet type is selected and the first packet is translated to a second packet in accordance with the second protocol. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method to translate a protocol, comprising:

receiving at least one first packet created in accordance with a first protocol as defined by an Infiniband Specification;

determining a packet type for said first packet, said packet type comprising a Backward Event Congestion Notification (BECN) packet;

selecting a second protocol as defined by a Common Switch Interface (CSIX) Specification based on said packet type; and

translating said at least one first packet to at least one second packet in accordance with said second protocol, said translating comprising;

retrieving a Local Route Header (LRH) having BECN information in a BECN message field from said first packet;

retrieving a network address and congestion control information from said BECN information, said congestion control information having a first portion and a second portion;

mapping said network address to a CSIX destination address field of said second packet;

mapping said first portion to a CSIX speed field of said second packet; and

mapping said second portion to a CSIX class field of said second packet.

2. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in translating a protocol by receiving at least one first packet created in accordance with a first protocol as defined by an Infiniband Specification, determining a packet type for said first packet, said packet type comprising a Backward Event Congestion Notification (BECN) packet, selecting a second protocol as defined by a Common Switch Interface (CSIX) Specification based on said packet type, and translating said at least one first packet to at least one second packet in accordance with said second protocol, said translating comprising retrieving a Local Route Header (LRH) having BECN information in a BECN message field from said first packet, retrieving a network address and congestion control information from said BECN information, said congestion control information having a first portion and a second portion, mapping said network address to a CSIX destination address field of said second packet, mapping said first portion to a CSIX speed field of said second packet, and mapping said second portion to a CSIX class field of said second packet.

3. A system, comprising:

a switching fabric;

at least one network node connected to said switching fabric, said network node comprising a network processor and, a Fabric Interface Chip (FIC), wherein said FIC translates one or more packets communicated between said switching fabric and said network processor from a first protocol to a second protocol based on a packet type associated with each packet, said FIC operative to receive at least one first packet created in accordance with a first protocol as defined by an Infiniband Specification, determine a packet type for said first packet, said packet type comprising a Backward Event Congestion Notification (BECN) packet, select a second protocol as defined by a Common Switch Interface (CSIX) Specification based on said packet type, and translate said at least one first packet to at least one second packet in accordance with said second protocol, said FIC further operative to retrieve a Local Route Header (LRH) having BECN information in a BECN message field from said first packet, retrieve a network address and congestion control information from said BECN information, said congestion control information having a first portion and a second portion, map said network address to a CSIX destination address field of said second packet, map said first portion to a CSIX speed field of said second packet, and map said second portion to a CSIX class field of said second packet.