Abstract: In a system comprising a first fabric and a plurality of devices coupled to the fabric by Fibre Channel connections, the devices are logically grouped to form configurations and zones. A configuration includes at least one zone, and each zone includes at least one device as a member of the zone. Communications between the devices is restricted according to the configuration currently in effect. For example, one device may be permitted to communicate with another device only if they are members of a common zone.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 25, 2004
Date of Patent:
October 10, 2006
Assignee:
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
David Banks, Kumar Malavalli, Paul Ramsay, Kha Sin Teow, Jieming Zhu
Abstract: Storage area network (SAN) switches having greater storage capacity to allow greater data logging and storage of larger, more complicated tables for zoning and other table-based applications. A hard disk drive can be included in the switch, with data logging performed to the hard disk drive and with the hard disk drive serving as a second level of virtualization to provide storage of large tables. In a variation, the data logging of the switch, and any other devices on the SAN, can be directed to an area or areas of one or more storage units attached to the SAN.
Abstract: A light barrier and/or light reflector for PCB-mounted LED's has reflective walls defining interior chambers which redirect the light from the LED's in a substantially orthogonal direction and shield each LED from the light emitted by adjacent LED's. The device is particularly suited for redirecting light from LED's on a PCB to a status indicator panel thereby replacing conventional light pipes.
Abstract: A “high availability” system comprises multiple switches under the control of multiple control processors (“CPs”). One of the CPs is “active,” while the other CP is in a “standby” mode. Upon detection of a failure of the active CP, fail-over occurs to the standby CP. The standby CP re-issues all messages that the previously active CP had issued and which had not yet completed when the fail-over occurred. The newly active CP uses a different range of transaction identifiers (“XIDs”) than its predecessor CP. By using a different range of XID values, the newly active CP determines whether an incoming response message is responsive to a message that originated from the previously active CP or the newly activated CP. The currently active CP ignores all response messages that do not have an XID in its range, thereby ensuring proper and reliable messaging.
Abstract: A “high availability” system comprises multiple switches under the control of one more control processors (“CPs”). Each CP performs a staged startup process when failing-over from another CP or otherwise booting up. The staged startup process involves multiple stages of processing of various executable components of the image. Some stages may depend on the prior execution of other stages. The preferred staged startup process includes the use of a staging table which permits the standby image's FSS facility to efficiently schedule the various stages of the fail-over process taking into account the inter-stage dependencies.
Abstract: A method and system is provided for in-order delivery of frames in Fiber Channel communication networks during topology change. When a topology change has rendered an old path between two switches or end devices infeasible, a new path is determined to replace the old path. To ensure in-order delivery of frames, the new path is activated only after the lapse of a hold-down period. The hold-down period may be calculated as the maximum time required for frames within the old path immediately prior to the topology change to reach the destination switch or device. The calculation may utilize information available from the Fiber Channel shortest path first (FSPF) protocol.
Abstract: A printed wiring board having differential pair signal traces has increased spacing between signal-carrying vias and ground or power planes and/or is equipped with selectively placed ground vias to enhance the impedance matching of the signal traces.
Abstract: A secure and distributed time service is discussed for use in a network. In particular, the invention relates to Fiber Channel networks and the secure distribution of time service using a push model. In order to distribute time on a push model, one entity assumes responsibility for time in the network. Other entities in the network receive periodic time updates and check the validity of their own time by gauging the elapsed time since the previous time update. The time service is secured using by applying a unique combination of encryption techniques.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 31, 2002
Date of Patent:
April 25, 2006
Assignee:
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Vidya Renganarayanan, Richard L. Hammons, James Kleinsteiber
Abstract: A system including a storage processing device with an input/output module. The input/output module has port processors to receive and transmit network traffic. The input/output module also has a switch connecting the port processors. Each port processor categorizes the network traffic as fast path network traffic or control path network traffic. The switch routes fast path network traffic from an ingress port processor to a specified egress port processor. The storage processing device also includes a control module to process the control path network traffic received from the ingress port processor. The control module routes processed control path network traffic to the switch for routing to a defined egress port processor. The control module is connected to the input/output module. The input/output module and the control module are configured to interactively support data virtualization, data migration, data journaling, and snapshotting.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for securing networks, focusing on application in Fibre Channel networks. A combination of unique security techniques are combined to provide overall network security. Responsibility for security in the network is assigned to one or more designated entities. The designated entities deploy management information throughout the network to enhance security by modifying the capabilities and operational permissions of the devices participating in the network. For example, through network control: logical management access or physical I/O access may be limited on a per device or per I/O basis; and all devices and ports in the network operate only with other approved devices and ports. These designated entities can better manage network security by exploiting a unique link authentication system as well as a unique push-model secure distributed time service.
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 5, 2005
Publication date:
January 5, 2006
Applicant:
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
James Kleinsteiber, Richard Hammons, Hung Nguyen, Shankar Balasubramanian, Vidya Renganararayanan
Abstract: In a system comprising a first fabric and a plurality of devices coupled to the fabric by fiber channel connections, the devices are logically grouped to form configurations and zones. A configuration includes at least one zone, and each zone includes at least one device as a member of the zone. Communications between the devices is restricted according to the configuration currently in effect. For example, one device may be permitted to communicate with another device only if they are members of a common zone.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 29, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 27, 2005
Assignee:
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
David Banks, Kumar Malavalli, Paul Ramsay, Kha Sin Teow, Jieming Zhu
Abstract: A printed wiring board having differential pair signal traces has increased spacing between signal-carrying vias and ground or power planes and/or is equipped with selectively placed ground vias to enhance the impedance matching of the signal traces.
Abstract: A secure and distributed time service is discussed for use in a network. In particular, the invention relates to Fibre Channel networks and the secure distribution of time service using a push model. In order to distribute time on a push model, one entity assumes responsibility for time in the network. Other entities in the network receive periodic time updates and check the validity of their own time by gauging the elapsed time since the previous time update. The time service is secured using by applying a unique combination of encryption techniques.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 3, 2005
Publication date:
December 1, 2005
Applicant:
Brocade Communications Systems
Inventors:
Vidya Renganarayanan, Richard Hammons, James Kleinsteiber
Abstract: Remote management of a plurality of network devices is described wherein each device is managed with its own unsigned Java™ applet. Unsigned applets launched from different devices operate within the same shared environment of a webpage. Furthermore, a transmitting applet communicates with a recipient applet. In one embodiment, the recipient applet is a central management applet that combines data from a plurality of devices into one data pool, which can then be used to provide higher level management capabilities. A combination of centralized management and distributed management is allowed within the Java security model, without having to resort to signed Java applets or Java applications.
Abstract: Accordingly, there is disclosed herein an augmented Fibre Channel (FC) frame format which may provide support for multiple fabric FC networks, and may improve the performance of modularly-constructed switches. In one embodiment, the augmented FC frame format is modulated on a carrier signal and the frame includes: a start-of-frame field; a supplementary header field that follows the start-of-frame field; a frame header field that follows the supplementary header field; a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) checksum field; and an end-of-frame field that follows the CRC checksum field. The supplementary header field may include a destination tag that identifies a target fabric to which the frame is directed. Alternatively, or in addition, the supplementary header field may include an egress port identifier that identifies a switch port through which the frame is to exit a switch. The supplementary header may also include flags to request special handling by the receiver.
Type:
Application
Filed:
January 29, 2004
Publication date:
August 4, 2005
Applicant:
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Timothy Millet, Surya Varanasi, Zahid Hussain, Kung-Ling Ko
Abstract: A device that synchronizes circuits over asynchronous links is disclosed. Some embodiments of the invention include a device that comprises a plurality of circuits. One of the plurality of circuits is designated as a “master” circuit. The master circuit is configured to send a first synchronization signal to one or more of the plurality of circuits, and each circuit that receives the first synchronization signal is configured to responsively send a second synchronization signal to one or more of the plurality of circuits.
Type:
Application
Filed:
October 24, 2003
Publication date:
April 28, 2005
Applicant:
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Kreg Martin, Ronald Kreuzenstein, John Terry
Abstract: Virtual channel enabled networking devices may map frames to specific virtual channels based upon frame characteristics (e.g. destination address, class of service). Devices and methods that provide a remapping of virtual channels are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network having virtual channel remapping may include: a first set of one or more switches that each support a first number of virtual channels, and a second set of one or more switches that each support a second number of virtual channels different from the first number of virtual channels. At least one switch from the second set is coupled to at least one switch from the first set and is configured to establish a correspondence (“map”) between the virtual channels supported by the first set and the virtual channels supported by the second set.
Abstract: A switch comprising front-end and back-end application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) is disclosed. Frame storage and retrieval in the switch is achieved by dividing a frame into equal sized portions that are sequentially stored in switch memory during an assigned time slot. Control logic coupled to the front-end and back-end ASICs assigns the time slot either dynamically or statically.
Abstract: Copy capability moved into the SAN fabric and provided as a data mover service. A well-known address is utilized to receive copy commands from the hosts. Each switch in the fabric contains a front end or service interface. The service interface of the switch connected to the host receives the copy command and manages access control or zoning and LUN mapping. LUN mapping and zoning are based on shared databases. Maintaining single, shared databases among the switches for LUN mapping and zoning greatly reduces administrator burden. By decoupling the need for the host to talk to the copy engine, zoning is greatly simplified as only the switches will be able to send commands to the copy engine, so the copy engine need only be zoned to have access to all of the desired storage devices, with no host access to the copy engine. Assuming correct zoning, the service interface will perform any necessary LUN mapping on the received copy command and forward the command to a copy engine to perform the copy operation.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 29, 2003
Publication date:
November 18, 2004
Applicant:
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Shankar Balasubramanian, Balakumar N. Kaushik, Richard L. Hammons
Abstract: A method for providing flexibility in configuring Fibre Channel devices for different mode of operation. The method uses Path Numbering mechanism to identify a flow path with a Fibre Channel device. The Path Number is used to associate source port and destination port to make the intermediate connection transparent for those two ports. Devices, switches, systems and networks implementing this method are also disclosed.