Apparatus for filtering inter-node communication in a data processing system

• US 7,088,715 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Booth, Richard Charles, Valk, Kenneth Micheal, Block, Timothy Roy, Sand, Thomas Rembert, Engebretsen, David Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/933,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 370389-393, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches

Abstract

A method and system for communication in a system area network (SAN) data processing system are described. The SAN includes a plurality of interconnected nodes that each have at least one port for communication. To avoid communication-induced errors that may arise, for example, if multiple nodes share the same node ID, the port of a node in the SAN is marked as “fenced” to prevent transmission of packets of a first traffic type while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type. The marking of the port may be recorded, for example, in a configuration register of the port. While the port is fenced, only packets of other than the first traffic type are routed via the port. In one preferred embodiment, the second traffic type represents SAN configuration traffic, and the first traffic type represents non-configuration traffic. In this preferred embodiment, the marking of the port may be removed following communication of configuration traffic utilized to negotiate unique node ID throughout the SAN.

Claims

1. A node for a system area network, said node comprising:

at least one device coupled to a network chip having a port for interconnection to another node, wherein responsive to said port being marked to prevent transmission of a first traffic type via said port while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type to said another node, said network chip routes via said port only packets not of said first traffic type wherein said first traffic type comprises non-configuration traffic and said second traffic type comprises configuration traffic;

a routing table accessible to said network chip that associates ports with node identifiers, wherein said network chip routes packets by reference to said routing table; and

a port configuration register containing said marking of said port.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein said network chip determines a traffic type of a packet by reference to a packet header of the packet.

6. A system area network, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected nodes including at least one node according to claim 1.

3. A node for a system area network, said node comprising:

at least one device coupled to a network chip having a port for interconnection to another node, wherein responsive to said port being marked to prevent transmission of a first traffic type via said port while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type, said network chip routes via said port only packets not of said first traffic type;

wherein said first traffic type comprises non-configuration traffic and said second traffic type comprises configuration traffic; and

wherein following transmission of packets of configuration traffic said network chip removes said marking of said port.

4. The node of claim 3, wherein said network chip, responsive to transmission of said packets of configuration traffic, alters a node identifier used in packet routing.

7. A system area network, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected nodes including at least one node according to claim 3.

5. A node for a system area network, said node comprising:

at least one device coupled to a network chip having a port for interconnection to another node, wherein responsive to said port being marked to prevent transmission of a first traffic type via said port while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type to said another node, said network chip routes via said port only packets not of said first traffic type wherein said first traffic type comprises non-configuration traffic and said second traffic type comprises configuration traffic;

wherein said network chip marks said port automatically if said port is unconnected at initialization of the system area network.

8. A system area network, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected nodes including at least one node according to claim 5.