Abstract:
A storage router and related method are presented for combining multiple Fibre Channel frames together into a single IP datagram for tunneling transmission over an Internet protocol network. The storage router operates by storing incoming Fibre Channel frames in a Fibre Channel frame buffer. When there is sufficient data in the buffer, multiple Fibre Channel frames are taken from the buffer and combined into a single IP datagram. The number of Fibre Channel frames to be combined can be established through a variety of tests, including total bytes of data, number of frames, or through a time-out mechanism. The network layer then fragments the datagram into data link level frames, such as 1500 byte Ethernet frames. When the IP datagram arrives at the final destination, the segmented IP datagram is reconstructed, and the multiple Fibre Channel frames are extracted from the IP datagram and passed on to the recipient Fibre Channel network.
Abstract:
A fiber channel backplane configuration is capable of modular expansion, e.g., from 64 ports to 128 ports or 256 ports by a simple operation. The backplane includes connectors that provide permanent and jumper/vertical connections to support 64 user port switch in a single chassis. For a 128 port switch, two 64 port chassis are used. In the 128 port configuration, the connectors are configured to provide permanent and jumper/vertical connections to make intra-chassis and inter-chassis connections between the fabric switch and fabric input/output boards. Using jumper plugs, the jumper connectors provide vertical connections between the fiber input/output boards and fiber switch boards of two chassis. For a 256 port switch configuration, four 64 port chassis assemblies are used. The connectors are configured to provide each switch with permanent, vertical, horizontal, and diagonal connections to the fiber input/output boards of each of the four chassis.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for temporarily deferring transmission of packets/frames to a destination port in a buffered switch is disclosed. When a request for transmission of at least one packet/frame to the destination port is received, it is determined whether the destination port is available to receive the at least one packet/frame. The transmission of the at least one packet/frame is deferred when the destination port is not available to receive the at least one packet/frame. The packet/frame identifier and memory location for each deferred packet/frame is stored in a deferred queue and the process then repeats for the next packet/frame. Periodically, the apparatus attempts to transmit the packets/frames in the deferred queue to their respective destination ports.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus that recognizes a portion of an address that would be unrecognizable to an intended associated switch or device and manipulates the portion of the address to make it recognizable. The apparatus and method manipulates a discontinuous address to provide the appearance to the associated device, switch or peripheral, that the address is continuous. This provides additional address capacity such that a new address is created within the switch itself for routing data within the switch. All or a portion of the switches in network are preassigned a chassis address, and each chassis also has a specific switch address that is different from the preassigned chassis address. An address adaptor provides translation of addresses and mapping within a switch so that in the event of a port failure, affected frames can be redirected from the failed port by employing the described translation and mapping operations.
Abstract:
A method and system for bootstrapping a processor from a volatile memory device connected to the processor is disclosed. The first processor is bootstrapped from flash device. The reset lines of the second processor are asserted. The boot code for the second processor is loaded from the flash device into the volatile memory device. The reset lines of the second processor are de-asserted, wherein the processor then boots from the boot code stored in the volatile memory device. The same boot-strapping method can be extended to multi-drop systems where number of secondary processor can be more than one. A switchable means for the second processor to boot from volatile memory as described or from flash memory. A method also describes a mechanism to boot from synchronous volatile memory devices.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for imparting fault tolerance in a switch or the like, particularly in a fibre channel director switch employed in connection with storage area network.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus is presented for performing a sequence-level CRC calculation on fiber channel communications within a switching platform domain. A CRC generator searches the data communication for frames that contain the type of data for which a sequence-level CRC is desired, such as for a sequence containing SCSI data. If found, and the type of data allows multiple frames per sequence, the present invention creates a CRC value for the sequence. An intermediate CRC value is stored in a queue to allow the simultaneous calculation of sequence level CRC values for multiple frames. With inbound data, the sequence-level CRC is appended to the end of the sequence data. With outbound data, the calculated value is compared with the appended, expected value, With single-frame fiber channel protocols, the frame-level CRC value is obtained directly from the frames entering the switching platform domain. This value is placed in a local queue, from which it is appended to the data payload by a processor for transmission within the switching platform. When the single frame is leaving the switching platform domain, the flow of data leaving the switching platform domain is monitored and the frame-level CRC value calculated by the fiber channel controller is replaced with the original frame-level CRC value.
Abstract:
A Fiber Channel switch is presented that tracks the congestion status of destination ports in an XOFF mask at each input. A mapping is maintained between virtual channels on an ISL and the destination ports to allow changes in the XOFF mask to trigger a primitive to an upstream port that provides virtual channel flow control. The XOFF mask is also used to avoid sending frames to a congested port. Instead, these frames are stored on a single deferred queue and later processed in a manner designed to maintain frame ordering. A routing system is provided that applies multiple routing rules in parallel to perform line speed routing. The preferred switch fabric is cell based, with techniques used to manage path maintenance for variable length frames and to adapt to varying transmission rates in the system. Finally, the switch allows data and microprocessor communication to share the same crossbar network.
Abstract:
High frequency transmitter and receiver circuits are AC coupled for party line transmission over coaxial cable where the circuits are connectable to the cable by use of stinger taps and thereby eliminate the need to interrupt service when connecting the circuits to the cable. The transmitter circuit includes oppositely polled current sources which are alternately switched to the coaxial cable via the stinger tap or to a dummy load by current switches connected to data inputs via buffer circuits. A transmit enable circuit controls the current sources to be active or inactive and to prevent unbalances from saturating either current sources. The receiver includes a high input impedance biasing network and buffer amplifier that maintain the high input impedance even when power is off. Capacitance at the tap is reduced by a capacitor drive circuit which feeds input signal back to transmitter blocking diodes and to the trunk tap. A feed ahead network, differentiating network, and another buffer amplifier form a network for recovering the transmitted signal shape regardless of distance from the transmitter. A gated amplifier restores the shaped signal to logic levels ready for conversion to non-return-to-zero data. Filter and buffer circuits restrict level detection to signals in the frequency band of the transmitter. A threshold circuit sets the carrier sense detection level and a high gain amplifier converts signals above the threshold to ECL logic levels. After conversion of the ECL logic levels to TTL logic signals, a single shot produces a DC level from the logic level carrier signal. That DC carrier sense output enables data conversion circuits and drives a gate circuit for gating the gated amplifier.
Abstract:
A self-aligning guide pin has two tapered protrusions. The protrusions seat in recesses in a printed circuit board to properly position and align the guide pin as it is mounted by a screw to the printed circuit board during assembly.