Computer Network Technology Corporation

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.

Mike Morandi

Mark J Moran

William C Collette

Robert Engebretson

Brian A Johnson

Bret Ketchum

Richard Kelley

A storage router and related method are presented for combining multiple host frames, such as Fiber Channel frames, together into a single datagram for tunneling transmission over an IP or similar network. The storage router operates by storing incoming host frames in a host frame buffer. When there is sufficient data in the buffer, multiple host frames are batched together, compressed, and converted into an IP datagram. The number of host frames to be batched together 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 datagram arrives at the final destination, the segmented datagram is reconstructed, decompressed, and the multiple host frames are then extracted and passed on to the recipient host frame network.

Batching and compression for IP transmission

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.

Fibre channel frame batching for IP transmission

A storage router and related method are presented for combining multiple host frames, such as Fibre Channel frames, together into a single datagram for tunneling transmission over an IP or similar network. The storage router operates by storing incoming host frames in a host frame buffer. When there is sufficient data in the buffer, multiple host frames are batched together, compressed, and converted into an IP datagram. The number of host frames to be batched together 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 datagram arrives at the final destination, the segmented datagram is reconstructed, decompressed, and the multiple host frames are then extracted and passed on to the recipient host frame network.

Frame batching and compression for IP transmission

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Mike Morandi