Methods, systems and apparatus for the interconnection of fibre channel over Ethernet devices using a fibre channel over Ethernet interconnection apparatus controller

摘要

Methods, apparatus and systems are provided for forwarding Fiber Channel Initialization Protocol (FIP) and Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frames by a FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA) and a Fiber Channel over Ethernet device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). In one aspect of the invention, a command is sent from a FIAC to the FIA to set the frame processing apparatus to identify received FIP frames, which are forwarded with the original destination and source Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) addresses. A command is sent from the FIAC to the FIA to identify received FCoE frames to replace the source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses. When a FCoE frame is received by the FIA, the source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses are replaced, such as where the destination Ethernet MAC address of the received matched FCoE frame is replaced by the MAC address assigned to the desired end port. The FCoE frame is forwarded to a destination FCoE device.

主权项

1. A method for forwarding Fibre Channel Initialization Protocol (FIP) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frames by a FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA) and a Fibre Channel over Ethernet device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC), the method comprising: a frame processing apparatus
sending a command from a FIAC to the FIA to set a frame processing apparatus to identify received FIP frames and forward them with the original destination and source Ethernet MAC addresses, receiving a FIP frame by the FIA, the frame processing apparatus identifying and forwarding said FIP frame, sending a command from the FIAC to the FIA to identify received FCoE frames, replace the source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses in said received FCoE frame, and forwarding the frame having the replaced addresses, receiving a FCoE frame by the FIA, the frame processing apparatus identifying and replacing the source and destination Ethernet MAC addresses in the frame, and forwarding the FCoE frame to a destination FCoE device.