Abstract: Method and system for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The method includes, inserting a time stamp value in a fibre channel frame that is received at a receive segment of the fibre channel switch element; determining if a timeout occurs after a frame arrives at a receive buffer; and processing the frame if the timeout occurred. The method also includes, determining if a delta time value, which provides an accumulated wait time for a frame, is present in frame data; subtracting the delta time stamp value from a global time stamp value and using the resulting time stamp value to determine frame timeout status in the fibre channel switch element. A timeout checker circuit declares a timeout after comparing a time stamp value that is inserted in a fibre channel frame with a programmed time out value and a global counter value.

Abstract: A method for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes, a receiving segment in a fibre channel port for receiving the frames and a transmit segment that transmits the received frames. The method includes requesting an early frame transfer, wherein the transmit segment of a fibre channel port requests an early frame transfer from a receiving segment of the fibre channel port before a frame has arrived at the transmit segment; activating an early frame transfer; determining if there is a need for aborting the early frame transfer request; and selecting a different source port if there is a need for aborting an early frame transfer request.

Abstract: A method and system for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes, a look up table that is indexed by domain, area, a virtual storage area number and/or AL_PA values of frames entering the fibre channel switch element; and logic for generating a column select signal that is used to select a column from the look up table for frame routing information. The switch element also includes logic for validating a frame route by performing word depth match. A register is used to load look up table entries and column entries are selected based on the column select signal. The method includes, indexing a look up table with plural fibre channel frame header values; selecting a table value for routing a fibre channel frame based on a column select signal; and routing the frame if a route is valid.

Abstract: A fibre channel switch element and method for routing fibre channel frames is provided. The switch element includes a receive segment that can add a virtual storage area network (“VSAN”) tagging header to frames that are received by the receive segment; and strip the VSAN tagging header before frames are sent to ports that do not support virtual fabric capability. The receive segment includes a table used for matching fabric extension parameters. An incoming frame's VSAN identity value is compared to a control word entry to generate a value used for routing the incoming frame. The table is used to determine if a frame is part of a virtual fabric. The routing table for each port is used to route frames and the routing table includes entries for supported virtual fabrics.

Abstract: A method and system for routing frames based on a port's speed using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The method includes, receiving a portion of a frame in a receive buffer of a port; determining a frame length threshold; and setting up a status bit based on the port's speed, the frame length threshold and an amount of frame received. The status bit is sent to a transmit segment of the fibre channel switch element and the frame length threshold value is inversely proportional to the port's speed. Also, if the receive buffer is almost full when a frame arrives at the receive port, then a cut status is based on a frames end of frame (“EOF”) value.

Abstract: A method and system for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes, a port with a buffer having more than one memory slot for receiving fibre channel frames, wherein the port tracks a relative age of a first memory slot with respect to at least another memory slot; and frames are transmitted from a memory slot based on the relative age. The method includes, determining a relative age of a first memory slot with respect to at least another memory slot; and transmitting a frame from a memory slot based on the relative age. The method also includes, sending frames that have resided in a memory slot for a greater period compared to frames residing in at least another memory slot; and setting age bits in plural memory slots when frames are written and the relative age is determined based on the age bits. An aging table may be used to store the age bits of the plural memory slots.