Method and system for improving bandwidth and reducing idles in fibre channel switches
First Claim
1. A method for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element having a plurality of ports, where each port includes a receive segment for receiving fibre channel frames and a transmit segment for transmitting fibre channel frames;
- comprising;
(a) requesting an early frame transfer of a fibre channel frame from a memory location of the receive segment of a fibre channel port to the transmit segment of the fibre channel port, before the transmit segment completes a status check, wherein the transmit segment sends a request to the receive segment for the early frame transfer;
(b) activating an early frame transfer;
wherein the early frame transfer is activated at the receive segment;
(c) after completing the status check, determining if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request sent to the receive segment in step (a);
wherein the transmit segment determines if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request and if there is a need, generates a request-abort command to abort the early frame transfer request and sends the request abort command to the receive segment; and
(e) after aborting the early frame transfer, selecting another frame from a different source port while continuing to have the memory location in step (a) available for the transmit segment to re-request the frame transfer from the same memory location.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes, a receiving segment in a fibre channel port for receiving the frames and a transmit segment that transmits the received frames. The method includes requesting an early frame transfer, wherein the transmit segment of a fibre channel port requests an early frame transfer from a receiving segment of the fibre channel port before a frame has arrived at the transmit segment; activating an early frame transfer; determining if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request; and selecting a different source port if there is a need for aborting an early frame transfer request.
376 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element having a plurality of ports, where each port includes a receive segment for receiving fibre channel frames and a transmit segment for transmitting fibre channel frames;
- comprising;
(a) requesting an early frame transfer of a fibre channel frame from a memory location of the receive segment of a fibre channel port to the transmit segment of the fibre channel port, before the transmit segment completes a status check, wherein the transmit segment sends a request to the receive segment for the early frame transfer; (b) activating an early frame transfer;
wherein the early frame transfer is activated at the receive segment;(c) after completing the status check, determining if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request sent to the receive segment in step (a); wherein the transmit segment determines if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request and if there is a need, generates a request-abort command to abort the early frame transfer request and sends the request abort command to the receive segment; and (e) after aborting the early frame transfer, selecting another frame from a different source port while continuing to have the memory location in step (a) available for the transmit segment to re-request the frame transfer from the same memory location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- comprising;
-
10. A fibre channel switch element for routing fibre channel frames, comprising:
-
a receive segment in a fibre channel port of the fibre channel switch element for receiving the fibre channel frames and a transmit segment that transmits the received fibre channel frames; wherein the transmit segment of the fibre channel port requests an early frame transfer of a fibre channel frame from a memory location of the receive segment of the fibre channel port to the transmit segment, before the transmit segment completes a status check; and
in response to the earl;
frame transfer request, the receive segment activates an early frame transfer; andwherein, after completing the status check, the transmit segment determines if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request;
generates a request abort command to abort the early frame transfer request if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request and sends the request abort command to the receive segment; andwherein after the early frame transfer request is aborted, another frame from a different source port is selected while the receive segment continues to have the memory location available for the transmit segment to re-request the frame transfer from the same memory location. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A switch element, comprising:
-
a receive segment of a port for receiving a frame; and a transmit segment of the port for transmitting a frame; and before the transmit segment completes a status check;
the transmit segment sends a request for an early frame transfer to the receive segment to transfer the frame from a memory location of the receive segment to the transmit segment; and
in response to the early frame transfer request, the receive segment activates an early frame transfer;wherein, after completing the status check, the transmit segment determines if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request; and
if there is a need, generates a request to abort the early frame transfer request and sends the request to the receive segment so that the early frame transfer is aborted; andwherein after the early frame transfer is aborted the receive segment continues to have the memory location available for the transmit segment to re-request the frame transfer from the same memory location. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
-
22. A method for a switch element having a plurality of ports, each port having a receive segment for receiving frames and a transmit segment for transmitting frames;
- comprising;
a. before the transmit segment completes a status check, requesting an early frame transfer of a frame from a memory location of the receive segment of a port to the transmit segment of the port;
wherein the transmit segment sends a request to the receive segment for the early frame transfer;b. activating an early frame transfer;
wherein the early frame transfer is activated at the receive segment;c. after completing the status check, determining if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request sent to the receive segment in step (a);
wherein the transmit segment determines if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request and if there is a need, generates a request-abort command to abort the early frame transfer request and sends the request abort command to the receive segment; and(d) after aborting the early frame transfer, selecting another frame while continuing to have the memory location in step (a) available for the transmit segment to re-request transfer of the frame from the same memory location of step (a). - View Dependent Claims (23)
- comprising;
Specification