Label switching in fibre channel networks

• US 7,616,637 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edsall, Thomas J., Dutt, Dinesh G., Lee, Scott S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr.; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mais; Mark A
• Application Number:
  US10/114,394
• Time in Patent Office: 2,780 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/394, 370/395.1, 370/397, 370/400, 370/401, 370/409, 370/410, 370/430, 370/464, 370/465, 370/470, 370/471, 370/474, 370/475, 370/498, 370/466, 370/479, 370/395.5
• US Class Current: 370/394
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for label switched routing in fibre channel networks. Techniques are provided for implementing label switching based on particular characteristics of fibre channel networks. By using label switching, mechanisms such as traffic engineering, security, and tunneling through networks that do not support fibre channel frames can be implemented.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a fibre channel frame having a first stack of labels at a first fibre channel device, the fibre channel frame received through a tunnel in a Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network, wherein a control word in the fibre channel frame is used to reorder frames received out of order at the first fibre channel switch to provide in order delivery;

reordering frames at the first fibre channel device;

referencing an entry in a label information base at the first fibre channel device based on the first stack of labels;

removing the first stack of labels from the fibre channel frame; and

forwarding the fibre channel frame in-order to a second fibre channel device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fibre channel frame is forwarded substantially without any label information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting a second set of labels into the fibre channel frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stack of labels comprises of one or more labels.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more of the labels are associated with one or more virtual storage area networks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stack of labels is included in the Enhanced Interswitch Links (EISL) header.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stack of labels is included in the fibre channel frame header.

8. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a fibre channel frame having a first stack of labels at a first fibre channel device, the fibre channel frame received through a tunnel in a Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network, wherein a control word in the fibre channel frame is used to reorder frames received out of order at the first fibre channel switch to provide in order delivery;

means for reordering frames at the first fibre channel device;

means for referencing an entry in a label information base at the first fibre channel device based on the first stack of labels;

means for removing the first stack of labels from the fibre channel frame; and

means for forwarding the fibre channel frame in-order to a second fibre channel device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fibre channel frame is forwarded substantially without any label information.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

inserting a second set of labels into the fibre channel frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first stack of labels comprises of one or more labels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more of the labels are associated with one or more virtual storage area networks.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first stack of labels is included in the Enhanced Interswitch Links (EISL) header.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first stack of labels is included in the fibre channel frame header.

15. A device, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a fibre channel frame having a first stack of labels, the fibre channel frame received through a tunnel in a Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network, wherein a control word in the fibre channel frame is used to reorder frames received out of order at the device to provide in order delivery;

a processor operable to reordering frames, reference an entry in a label information base based on the first stack of labels and remove the first stack of labels from the fibre channel frame;

wherein the interface is further operable to forward the fibre channel frame in-order to a fibre channel device.

16. A computer readable storage medium having computer code embodied therein, the computer storage readable medium comprising:

computer code for receiving a fibre channel frame having a first stack of labels at a first fibre channel device, the fibre channel frame received through a tunnel in a Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network, wherein a control word in the fibre channel frame is used to reorder frames received out of order at the first fibre channel switch to provide in order delivery;

computer code for reordering frames at the first fibre channel device;

computer code for referencing an entry in a label information base at the first fibre channel device based on the first stack of labels;

computer code for removing the first stack of labels from the fibre channel frame; and

computer code for forwarding the fibre channel frame in-order to a second fibre channel device.