The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 10, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2008
Scott M. Carlson, Tucson, AZ (US);
Daniel G. Eisenhauer, Austin, TX (US);
Roger G. Hathorn, Tucson, AZ (US);
Jeffrey W. Palm, Rochester, MN (US);
Sandy K. Kao, Austin, TX (US);
Renato J. Recio, Austin, TX (US);
Scott M. Carlson, Tucson, AZ (US);
Daniel G. Eisenhauer, Austin, TX (US);
Roger G. Hathorn, Tucson, AZ (US);
Jeffrey W. Palm, Rochester, MN (US);
Sandy K. Kao, Austin, TX (US);
Renato J. Recio, Austin, TX (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device obtains knowledge of the configuration of an attached Ethernet fabric from data fields within a frame header during a fabric initialization or login (FLOGI) process. FCoE N_Ports obtain similar information during the port initialization or login (PLOGI) process. The FCoE device may provide network management services to attached FCoE devices. Embodiments include a management module or processor within an FCoE N_Port. The management module or processor receives a frame having a header and validates and extracts information associated with an Ethernet fabric from the FCoE N_Ports and in order to provide management services based on the information associated with the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Port communicatively couples to at least one additional FCoE N_Port through the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Ports may be implemented within a disc storage drive, a host bus adapter, and/or an FCoE switch. The capability of an N_Port to obtain this information allows a management module or processor at the N_Port to manage the Ethernet fabric.