Fibre channel network employing registered state change notifications with enhanced payload
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- using state change messages to establish and maintain a cache of remote node device entries on a device, the state change messages comprising updates for node devices;
receiving a node device information request; and
generating a response based on the cache of remote node device entries if the node device information request regards a remote node device, a node device being remote if not directly coupled to the device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network of switches that employ Registered State Change Notifications (RSCNs) with enhanced payloads is disclosed. In one embodiment, the network comprises multiple switches coupled together, and multiple node devices each directly-coupled to at least one other switch. Each of the switches preferably provides RSCNs to other switches when a node device state change is detected. One or more of the RSCNs preferably includes a device entry having more than four properties associated with the node device undergoing the state change. The switches receiving the enhanced RSCNs preferably maintain caches of remote node device entries copied from the RSCN device entries. The device entries preferably include one or more of the following: Owner Identifier, Port Type, Port Identifier, Port Name, Node Name, Initial Process Associator, Node IP Address, Class of Service, FC-4 Types, Port IP Address, Fabric Port Name, and Hard Address. Traffic overhead may advantageously be reduced.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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using state change messages to establish and maintain a cache of remote node device entries on a device, the state change messages comprising updates for node devices; receiving a node device information request; and generating a response based on the cache of remote node device entries if the node device information request regards a remote node device, a node device being remote if not directly coupled to the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method, comprising:
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using node device add/delete messages to establish and maintain a database of local node device entries; using state change messages to establish and maintain a cache of remote node device entries; receiving a node device information request regarding a particular node device; generating a response based on the database of local node device entries if the node device information request regards a local node device; and generating a response based on the cache of remote node device entries if the node device information request regards a remote node device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A device, comprising:
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a cache of remote node device entries established and maintained using state change messages, the state change messages comprising updates for node devices; wherein the device receives a node device information request; and generates a response based on the cache of remote node device entries if the node device information request regards a remote node device, a node device being remote if not directly coupled to the device.
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30. A device, comprising:
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a database of local node device entries established and maintained using node device add/delete messages; and a cache of remote node device entries established and maintained using state change messages; wherein the device receives a node device information request regarding a particular node device; generates a response based on the database of local node device entries if the node device information request regards a local node device; and generates a response based on the cache of remote node device entries if the node device information request regards a remote node device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification