Apparatus and method for defining a static fibre channel fabric
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving a request from a first host to access a fibre channel fabric,wherein the fibre channel fabric connects a plurality of hosts and a plurality of storage devices;
transmitting to a first switch of the fibre channel fabric a message or messages from the first host comprising fabric name information and domain name information,wherein the first switch is statically configured using the fabric name and the domain name information, andwherein after being statically configured, the first switch isolates itself from a second switch included in the fibre channel fabric upon determining that the second switch was dynamically configured.
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Abstract
A storage area network and method for defining a static Fibre Channel Fabric that does not require a Principal Switch. The storage area network comprises one or more hosts, one or more storage devices, and a static Fabric connecting the one or more hosts and storage devices. Within the static Fabric, the Switches have their Domain_ID and Fabric_Name statically set. The method comprises accessing the Fabric, selecting a Switch in the Fabric, and statically configuring the Domain_ID and Fabric_Name for the selected Switch. The above sequence is repeated for each Switch in the static Fabric. In one embodiment, after being statically configured, the Switch is isolated from any dynamically set Switches in the Fabric. The Switch detects which of its Ports are connected to dynamically set Switches, and then isolates them, while maintaining operational the Ports connected to statically configured Switches.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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receiving a request from a first host to access a fibre channel fabric, wherein the fibre channel fabric connects a plurality of hosts and a plurality of storage devices; transmitting to a first switch of the fibre channel fabric a message or messages from the first host comprising fabric name information and domain name information, wherein the first switch is statically configured using the fabric name and the domain name information, and wherein after being statically configured, the first switch isolates itself from a second switch included in the fibre channel fabric upon determining that the second switch was dynamically configured. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method, comprising:
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at a statically configured first switch of a fibre channel fabric, determining that a second switch connected to the first switch was dynamically configured, the second switch included in the fibre channel fabric, wherein determining the second switch was dynamically configured is based at least in part on receiving a first message from the second switch; isolating the first switch from the second switch upon determining that the second switch was dynamically configured. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system, comprising:
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one or more hosts; one or more storage devices; and a fabric connecting the one or more hosts and storage devices, the fabric having a plurality of switches being configured by a process comprising; at the fabric, receiving a request from one of the hosts to access the fabric; at a first switch of the fabric, receiving a message or messages from the host comprising domain name and fabric name information, the domain name and fabric name information being used to configure the first switch, wherein after being statically configured, the first switch isolates itself from a second switch included in the fibre channel fabric upon determining that the second switch was dynamically configured. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processor at a statically configured first switch of a fibre channel fabric operable to determine a second switch connected to the first switch was dynamically configured, the second switch included in the fibre channel fabric, wherein the first switch is isolated from the second switch upon determining that the second switch was dynamically configured, and wherein determining the second switch was dynamically configured is based at least in part on receiving a first message from the second switch. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that are arranged to perform the following operations:
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receiving a request from a first host to access a fibre channel fabric, wherein the fibre channel fabric connects a plurality of hosts and a plurality of storage devices; transmitting to a first switch of the fibre channel fabric a message or messages from the first host comprising fabric name information and domain name information, wherein the first switch is statically configured using the fabric name and the domain name information, and wherein after being statically configured, the first switch isolates itself from a second switch included in the fibre channel fabric upon determining that the second switch was dynamically configured.
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19. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that are arranged to perform the following operations:
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at a statically configured first switch of a fibre channel fabric, determining that a second switch connected to the first switch was dynamically configured, the second switch included in the fibre channel fabric, wherein determining the second switch was dynamically configured is based at least in part on receiving a first message from the second switch; isolating the first switch from the second switch upon determining that the second switch was dynamically configured.
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Specification