Method and system for using extended fabric features with fibre channel switch elements

• US 7,990,975 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: QLogic Corporation (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Verba, Craig M., Ross, Edward C., Dropps, Frank R., Papenfuss, Gary M., Kohlwey, Ernest G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUTKOWSKI, JEFFREY M
• Application Number:
  US12/697,994
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.53, 370/397, 370/399, 370/409, 370/474, 370/475, 370/476, 709/236, 709/250, 398/43, 398/57, 398/58
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/10 characterised by the switching fabric construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/111 Switch interfaces, e.g. port details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches

Abstract

A fibre channel switch element and method for routing fibre channel frames is provided. The switch element includes a receive segment that can add a virtual storage area network (“VSAN”) tagging header to frames that are received by the receive segment; and strip the VSAN tagging header before frames are sent to ports that do not support virtual fabric capability. The receive segment includes a table used for matching fabric extension parameters. An incoming frame'"'"'s VSAN identity value is compared to a control word entry to generate a value used for routing the incoming frame. The table is used to determine if a frame is part of a virtual fabric. The routing table for each port is used to route frames and the routing table includes entries for supported virtual fabrics.

Claims

1. A method for processing a frame at a transmit segment of a port of a switch element, comprising:

(a) determining if support for a virtual storage area network (“

VSAN”

) is enabled at the port of the switch element;

(b) if VSAN support is enabled, determining if an encapsulation mode for the port is enabled for processing a tagging header that includes a VSAN identifier value for identifying the VSAN,

(c) if the encapsulation mode is enabled, determining if hard zoning is enabled;

wherein hard zoning is used to enforce a frame by frame zoning by the switch element;

(d) if hard zoning is enabled, then verifying if a domain value in a source identifier of a frame header of the frame matches with a domain entry of an address look up table (ALUT);

wherein the entries of the address look up for the verification are selected based on if a zone mask using an area field or a port identifier field is enabled;

(e) removing the tagging header from the frame when the encapsulation mode is enabled; and

(f) transmitting the frame to a destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein support for the VSAN is enabled by a setting at a control register for the port.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein encapsulation mode is enabled by a setting at a control register for the port.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein hard zoning is enabled by a setting at a control register for the port.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a zone mask for comparing an area field is enabled by a setting at a control register for the port.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a zone mask for comparing a port identifier field is enabled by a setting at a control register for the port.