Mcdata Corporation

Jeffrey J Nelson

Samuel C Lay

John R Flanagan

Daniel Francis Casper

Louis William Ricci

Catherine C Huang

Joseph C Elliott

Robert H Grant

James Rodgers

Gary R Flauaus

Ken N Jessop

James P Fugere

Kenneth N Jessop

Michael E O'Donnell

Stephen Trevitt

William J Mitchem

A data communication architecture including a plurality of devices having input/output (I/O) ports supporting communication at a first rate and a data processor having a number of I/O ports where each I/O port supports data communication at a second data rate. The second data rate is at least double the first data rate. A communication link coupled to one of the data processor I/O ports supports the second data rate. A bridge device is coupled to the communication link and to the I/O ports of the plurality of devices. The bridge device translates the communication link at the second data rate to a plurality of communication links at the first data rate, where the plurality of communication links at the first data rate are substantially independent of each other.

Interconnection architecture for managing multiple low bandwidth connections over a high bandwidth link

A method and system for aggregating a plurality of links to simulate a unitary connection among one or more nodes in a fibre channel system includes means for striping data frames across the links. One or more programmable hardware mechanisms, operatively connectable to the links and to nodes in the fabric, also are provided. A program for collecting information about variable link characteristics is included. Programmable hardware mechanisms provide in-order delivery of data frames across the links despite the variable link characteristics.

Striping data frames across parallel fibre channel links

A method and apparatus for providing link aggregation and 10.2 gigabit per second throughput in a Fibre Channel fabric. One aspect of the present invention provides a port module for receiving a 10.2 gigabit link on a fiber interface and providing trunking of a plurality links on the backplane, wherein the backplane is coupled to a switching element. In addition, another aspect of the present invention provides a first port module coupled to a switching element for receiving a 10.2 gigabit link from a fabric on a fiber interface and thereafter transmitting fiber channel frames to a second port module coupled to the switching element that interfaces to the fabric at 10.2 gigabits, thereby providing 10.2 gigabit to 10.2 gigabit throughput from the first port module to the second port module.

Method and apparatus for providing optimized high speed link utilization

A central route table design in a fiber channel switch for providing one location for D_ID and exit port combinations. The fiber channel switch has a plurality of ports, each are coupled to the central route look-up table.

Compact, shared route lookup table for a fiber channel switch

A non-disruptive, on-line testing and switchover method and apparatus in a high availability, fibre channel switching environment. In a network having an active switching element, a redundant switching element and a port, one aspect of the present invention provides for verifying a working data path from the port to the redundant switching element, and thereafter verifying a working control path to the redundant switching element. Both verification tests take place without interrupting operation on the network. In addition, another aspect of the present invention provides for recognizing a failure occurrence in the active switching element, and thereafter switching to the redundant switching element with the potential for minimal frame loss.

Automatic testing of redundant switching element and automatic switchover

A non-disruptive, on-line testing and switchover method and apparatus in a high availability, fiber channel switching environment. In a network having an active switching element, a redundant switching element and a port, one aspect of the present invention provides for verifying a working data path from the port to the redundant switching element, and thereafter verifying a working control path to the redundant switching element. Both verification tests take place without interrupting operation on the network. In addition, another aspect of the present invention provides for recognizing a failure occurrence in the active switching element, and thereafter switching to the redundant switching element with the potential for minimal frame loss.

A switch including a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports and a switching element programmably coupling a first of the I/O ports with a second of the I/O ports. An analysis device is associated with the first I/O port measuring at least one data traffic parameter specific to data traffic between the first I/O port and the second I/O port.

Method and apparatus for measuring traffic within a switch

A method and apparatus which obviates the throughput limitations retries generated by busy conditions of conventional switches which are limited to but a single path between any two ports through the use of a &ldquo;hunt group&rdquo; concept whereby multiple paths can be provided between a participating group member and another port. These multiple paths may be associated in groups of, for example, eight, with each grouping of eight paths then comprising a &ldquo;hunt group&rdquo; whereby the first available member of the hunt group will be selected to enable the connection should the first be &ldquo;busy&rdquo;. The particular embodiment disclosed comprises a plurality of sequentially organized hunt groups starting on a boundary of eight associated with ports,, . . . through

Method and apparatus for implementing hunt group support for a crosspoint controller

A method and apparatus for the establishment of dynamic Enterprise System Connection ('ESCON') connections over a Fibre Channel connection allows a port state machine (or port module) to request dynamic ESCON connections from the exchange context of the Fibre Channel frame and to implement dynamic linking of the Fibre Channel exchanges to ESCON ports while also linking and monitoring the status of these connections for all subsequent frames associated on a particular exchange. In a particular embodiment, the method and apparatus provides the ability to establish dynamic connections through an ESCON Director switch based off of the Originator Exchange Identifier ('OX.sub.-- ID') of the FC-2 header and information contained in the FC-4 header of the Fibre Channel frame. Once a connection path has been established for a particular OX.sub.-- ID, that connection is maintained until the exchange is terminated.

Method and apparatus for establishment of dynamic ESCON connections from

A switch having a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports and a crossbar device programmably coupling a first of the I/O ports with a second of the I/O ports. A plurality of port request controllers (PRCs) are coupled such that each PRC is associated with one of the I/O ports. A plurality of serial request busses are arranged such that each serial request bus couples each PRC with its associated port. A plurality of serial response busses are coupled such that each serial response bus coupling each PRC with its associated PRC. In operation, the serial request and response busses operate independently in a non-blocking fashion to process connection and clear requests in parallel.

High performance crossbar switch

A high bandwidth central memory controller utilizing a pipelined TDM bus such that each serial interface can sustain a bandwidth of up to 100 MByte/second for both the transmission and reception of variable length frames. Each port is assigned a fixed number of queues, a TDM slot number and the address routing for all other queues associated with the remaining ports at initialization, such that when a frame is received, the appropriate queue is determined from the addressing in the frame header and the initialized route tables. When the port's TDM slot for a memory request is active, a request for the output queue is made to the central memory controller if an 'output queue available' indication is returned and the frame data is placed on the bus during the input port's data TDM slot. If the output queue is not available, the input port may either discard the received data frame or generate a busy/reject frame to be placed on one of its own output queues during its TDM data slot.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, CO, United States of America

Jeffrey J Nelson