Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.

Manjunath A Gopal Gowda

Richard L Hammons

An port expander Fibre Channel switch presents F_ports to form a first Fibre Channel fabric and N_ports to a second Fibre Channel fabric to appear as node devices. The port expander may be used to connect a plurality of blade servers to a Fibre Channel fabric. Fabric events engendered by the insertion or removal of hot-pluggable devices are handled by the port expander and 'event storms' on the Fibre Channel fabric are avoided. The port expander presents the blade servers to the FC fabric as a virtualized N_port.

Port expander for fibre channel fabrics in storage area networks

An port expander Fiber Channel switch presents F_ports to form a first Fiber Channel fabric and N_ports to a second Fiber Channel fabric to appear as node devices. The port expander may be used to connect a plurality of blade servers to a Fiber Channel fabric. Fabric events engendered by the insertion or removal of hot-pluggable devices are handled by the port expander and 'event storms' on the Fiber Channel fabric are avoided. The port expander presents the blade servers to the FC fabric as a virtualized N_port.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Manjunath A Gopal Gowda