High speed fibre channel switch element

• US 8,295,299 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: QLogic Corporation (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Dropps, Frank R., Kohlwey, Ernest G., Owen, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Kibrom T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US10/956,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,944 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/231, 370/232, 370/233, 370/234, 370/235, 370/236, 370/403, 370/404, 370/405, 370/406, 370/389, 370/390, 370/391, 370/392, 370/351, 370/412, 370/514, 370/394, 370/352, 370/360, 370/396, 370/395, 370/398, 370/423, 370/427
• US Class Current: 370/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/40 Wormhole routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/101 using crossbar or matrix
• 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 high-speed Fiber Channel switch element in a Fiber Channel network is provided. The Fiber Channel switch element includes, a rate select module that allows a port in the Fiber Channel switch element to operate at a rate equal to and/or higher than 10 gigabits per second (“G”). The port may operate at 20G, 40G or at a rate greater than 40G. Also, a cut status is provided for cut-through routing between ports operating at different speed. Plural transmit and receive lines are used for port operation at a rate equal to or higher than 10G.

Claims

1. A Fibre Channel switch element, comprising:

a plurality of ports for sending and receiving frames;

wherein each port is configurable to operate at more than one operating speed and includes a receive segment for receiving frames and a transmit segment for transmitting frames; and

a rate select module that receives a select speed signal from a common port of the switch element generated by firmware executed by a switch element processor, and based on the select speed signal, the rate select module provides a clock and a configuration signal to select an operating rate of a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) from among a plurality of SERDES to configure a port from among the plurality of ports to operate at a rate equal to or higher than 10 gigabits per second (“

G”

).

2. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 1, wherein the port is configured to operate at 20G (gigabits per second).

3. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 1, wherein the port is configured to operate at 40G (gigabits per second).

4. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 1, wherein the port is configured to operate at a rate greater than 40G (gigabits per second).

5. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 1, wherein the port configured to operate at a rate equal to or greater than 10G negotiates a transfer rate with other ports.

6. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 1, wherein a cut status is used for cut-through routing between ports operating at different speeds.

7. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 1, wherein a plurality of transmit and receive lanes are used for port operation at a rate equal to or higher than 10G.

8. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 7, wherein for 20G operation each lane operates at 6.375 Gigabaud.

9. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 7, wherein for 40G operation, each lane operates at 12.75 Gigabaud.

10. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 7, wherein ports configured to operate at 20G and 40G port are connected using passive copper or actively driven copper paths.

11. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 7, wherein ports configured to operate at 20G and 40G port are connected using optical transmission at the same or different wavelengths when multiple serial streams are used.

12. A Fibre Channel network, comprising:

a Fibre Channel switch element including a plurality of ports for sending and receiving frames;

wherein each port is configurable to operate at more than one operating speed and includes a receive segment for receiving frames and a transmit segment for transmitting frames; and

a rate select module that receives a select speed signal from a common port of the switch element generated by firmware executed by a switch element processor, and based on the select speed signal, the rate select module provides a clock and a configuration signal to select an operating rate of a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) from among a plurality of SERDES to configure a port from among the plurality of ports to operate at a rate equal to or higher than 10 gigabits per second (“

G”

).

13. The Fibre Channel network of claim 12, wherein the port is configured to operate at 20G (gigabits per second).

14. The Fibre Channel network of claim 12, wherein the port is configured to operate at 40G (gigabits per second).

15. The Fibre Channel network switch of claim 12, wherein the port is configured to operate at a rate greater than 40G (gigabits per second).

16. The Fibre Channel network of claim 12, wherein the port configured to operate at a rate equal to or greater than 10G negotiates a transfer rate with other ports.

17. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 12, wherein a cut status is used for cut-through routing between ports operating at different speeds.

18. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 12, wherein a plurality of transmit and receive lanes are used for port operation at a rate equal to or higher than 10G.

19. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 18, wherein for 20G operation each lane operates at 6.375 Gigabaud.

20. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 18, wherein for 40G operation, each lane operates at 12.75 Gigabaud.

21. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 18, wherein ports configured to operate at 20G and 40G port are connected using passive copper or actively driven copper paths.

22. The Fibre Channel switch element of claim 18, wherein ports configured to operate at 20G and 40G port are connected using optical transmission at the same or different wavelengths when multiple serial streams are used.

23. A switch element, comprising:

a plurality of ports for sending and receiving frames;

wherein each port is configurable to operate at more than one operating speed and includes a receive segment for receiving frames and a transmit segment for transmitting frames; and

a rate select module that receives a select speed signal from a common port of the switch element generated by firmware executed by a switch element processor, and based on the select speed signal, the rate select module provides a clock and a configuration signal to select an operating rate of a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) from among a plurality of SERDES to configure a port from among the plurality of ports to operate at a rate equal to or higher than 10 gigabits per second (“

G”

).

24. The switch element of claim 23, wherein the port is configured to operate at 20G, 40G, and greater than 40G.