Multifabric communication using a backbone fabric

• US 7,742,484 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• 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 Yon Park, Makishima, Dennis Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWEET, LONNIE V
• Application Number:
  US10/903,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20060023725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/351, 370/901, 370/389, 370/392, 370/400, 370/401, 370/466, 709/220, 709/217, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0071 Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/901 Wide area network

Abstract

A Fibre 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 Fibre Channel router can be in a fabric, but other ports can be connected to other fabrics. Fibre Channel routers can be interconnected using a backbone fabric. Global, interfabric and encapsulation headers are developed to allow routing by conventional Fibre Channel switch devices in the backbone fabric and simplify Fibre 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 Fibre Channel network comprising:

a first edge Fibre Channel fabric;

a second edge Fibre Channel fabric;

a backbone Fibre Channel fabric;

a first Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said first edge fabric and said backbone fabric, said first Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said first edge fabric and said backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said first Fibre Channel routing device; and

a second Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said second edge fabric and said backbone fabric, said second Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said second edge fabric and said backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said second Fibre Channel routing device;

wherein said first and second Fibre Channel routing devices allow messages to be exchanged between devices connected to the first edge Fibre Channel fabric and devices connected to the second edge Fibre Channel fabric across the backbone Fibre Channel fabric.

2. The Fibre Channel network of claim 1, wherein said backbone Fibre Channel fabric and said first and second Fibre Channel routing devices are connected using E_ports.

3. The Fibre Channel network of claim 1, wherein said backbone Fibre Channel fabric and said first and second Fibre Channel routing devices are connected using E_ports, wherein said first and second Fibre Channel routing devices each include an NR_port, and wherein frames passing between said first and second devices are addressed as being between said NR_ports for transfer over said backbone Fibre Channel fabric.

4. A Fibre Channel network comprising:

a first edge Fibre Channel fabric;

a second edge Fibre Channel fabric;

a first backbone Fibre Channel fabric;

a second backbone Fibre Channel fabric;

a first Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said first edge fabric and said first backbone fabric, said first Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said first edge fabric and said first backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said first Fibre Channel routing device;

a second Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said second edge fabric and said second backbone fabric, said second Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said second edge fabric and said second backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said second Fibre Channel routing device;

a third backbone Fibre Channel fabric;

a third Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said first backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric, said third Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said first backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said third Fibre Channel routing device; and

a fourth Fibre Channel routing device physically connected to both said second backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric, said fourth Fibre Channel routing device operating to not merge said second backbone fabric and said third backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said fourth Fibre Channel routing device;

wherein said first, second, third and fourth Fibre Channel routing devices allow messages to be exchanged between devices connected to the first edge Fibre Channel fabric and devices connected to the second edge Fibre Channel fabric across the first, second and third backbone Fibre Channel fabrics.

5. The Fibre Channel network of claim 4, wherein said first, second and third backbone Fibre Channel fabrics use E_ports for connecting to the respective Fibre Channel routing devices.

6. The Fibre Channel network of claim 5, wherein said first and second Fibre Channel routing devices connect to their respective backbone Fibre Channel fabrics using E_ports.

7. A network comprising:

a first edge fabric;

a second edge fabric;

a backbone fabric, said first, second and backbone fabrics all having the same defined protocol;

a first routing device physically connected to both said first edge fabric and said backbone fabric, said first routing device operating to not merge said first edge fabric and said backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said first routing device; and

a second routing device physically connected to both said second edge fabric and said backbone fabric, said second routing device operating to not merge said second edge fabric and said backbone fabric when both are physically connected to said second routing device;

wherein said first and second routing devices allow messages to be exchanged between devices connected to the first edge fabric and devices connected to the second edge fabric across the backbone fabric; and

wherein said first, second and backbone fabrics would merge into a single fabric if connected together without said first and second routing devices.

8. The network of claim 7, wherein said backbone fabric and said first and second routing devices are connected using interswitch ports.

9. The network of claim 7, wherein said backbone fabric and said first and second routing devices are connected using interswitch ports, wherein said first and second routing devices each include a routing port, and wherein frames passing between said first and second devices are addressed as being between said routing ports for transfer over said backbone fabric.