Method and system for configuring fibre channel ports
First Claim
1. A switch element for routing information, comprising:
- a port that is configured to operate at one or more of a plurality of data transfer rates;
wherein a clock rate for one data transfer rate is not an integer multiple of a clock rate for another data transfer rate at which the same port is configured to operate;
wherein the same port uses one interface to support one or more lanes for receiving and transferring information at the plurality of data transfer rates; and
the one interface includes a plurality of selectable serial/de-serializer (SERDES), where a higher number of SERDES and a higher number of lanes are selected for a first data transfer rate, and a lower number of SERDES and a lower number of lanes are selected for supporting a second data transfer rate, where the first data transfer rate is higher than the second data transfer rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fiber channel switch element for routing fiber channel frame is provided. The switch element includes a fiber channel port that can be configured to support plural data transfer rates. The data transfer rate may be 1 G, 2 G, 4 G, 8 G or 10 G. The switch element includes a clock configuration module for providing a clock signal that is based on the data transfer rate. A receive segment of the fiber channel port sends a signal to a transmit segment to avoid an under flow condition. The receive segment also waits for a certain frame length after a fiber channel frame is written and before the fiber channel frame is read, depending upon a data transfer rate of a source port. Multiple lanes may be configured as a single 10 G multi lane port or as multiple individual ports.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A switch element for routing information, comprising:
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a port that is configured to operate at one or more of a plurality of data transfer rates; wherein a clock rate for one data transfer rate is not an integer multiple of a clock rate for another data transfer rate at which the same port is configured to operate; wherein the same port uses one interface to support one or more lanes for receiving and transferring information at the plurality of data transfer rates; and
the one interface includes a plurality of selectable serial/de-serializer (SERDES), where a higher number of SERDES and a higher number of lanes are selected for a first data transfer rate, and a lower number of SERDES and a lower number of lanes are selected for supporting a second data transfer rate, where the first data transfer rate is higher than the second data transfer rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A switch element for routing network frames, comprising:
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a port that is configured to operate at one or more of a plurality of data transfer rates; wherein a clock rate for one data transfer rate is not an even multiple of a clock rate for another data transfer rate at which the port is configured to operate; wherein the port uses one interface to support one or more lanes for receiving and transferring frames at the plurality of data transfer rates; and
the one interface includes a plurality of selectable serial/de-serializer (SERDES); andwherein a higher number of SERDES and a higher number of lanes are selected for a first data transfer rate, and a lower number of SERDES and a lower number of lanes are selected for supporting a second data transfer rate, where the first data transfer rate is higher than the second data transfer rate; and
wherein the switch element includes a clock configuration module for providing a clock signal that is based on a configured data transfer rate for the port. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification