Abstract: A switch, switched architecture and process for transferring data through an FCAL switch is disclosed. The switch uses multiple switch control circuits each coupled to one FCAL [net]work and all connected to a crossbar switch. The switch control circuits are coupled together by a protocol bus for coordination purposes. Local conversations can occur on each FCAL loop and crossing conversations through the switch can occur concurrently. The OPN primitive is used to establish the connection before any data is transferred thereby eliminating the need for buffer memory in the switch control circuits. The destination address of each OPN is used to address a lookup table in each switch control circuit to determine if the destination node is local. If not, the destination is looked up and a connection request made on the protocol bus. If the remote port is not busy, it sends a reply which causes both ports to establish a data path through the backplane crossbar switch.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing a subchannel for management and control or other supplemental data on a media shared with a high speed data link. Several FDMA approaches are disclosed including AM, FM, PM, phase, QAM, QPSK etc. modulation of a subcarrier having a frequency which is in the bandwidth provided by the shared media which is not used by the DC balanced high speed data stream. A preferred species which is compatible with existing high speed data transmitters and receivers comprises a subchannel transmitter which frequency shift keys a subchannel carrier of about 1 mHz with the subchannel data. The modulated subchannel carrier is summed by superposition with a DC balanced NRZ format gigabit data stream and coupled onto the media.

Abstract: A learning half bridge and bridge for a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop and switching protocol. A half bridge can be coupled to a local loop segment and a remote loop segment. The half bridge includes transmit and receive ports implementing predetermined switching and conflict resolution rules and a memory storing a forwarding table. Typically the switching rules are implemented using state machines. The state machines implement a switching protocol that controls transitions between states which control switching connections, writing of data to memory and reading of data from memory and preemption of conflicting OPN primitives. Each half bridge includes a local return segment that can be switched by the state machines to bypass the remote loop segment if both the source node and destination node are on the local loop segment so as to make the local loop segment a complete Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop.

Abstract: An apparatus for accelerated Fiber Channel protocol handshaking and data exchange involves dividing a Fiber Channel arbitrated loop architecture up into a plurality of arbitrated subloops, each of which arbitrates locally using the same fundamentals as the Fiber Channel arbitration protocol but with some slight modifications which do not affect the compatibility of standard Fiber Channel nodes. Each subloop is coupled to a hub port which contains a state machine which implements distributed intelligence to do switching function and fill word generation to implement the accelerated protocol by using a plurality of switching, fill word generation and token passing rules. The state machine in each hub port is coupled to its local subloop and to its neighboring hub ports through a single TDMA bus which has timeslots dedicated to carrying broadcast loop and return loop traffic and control token traffic.

Abstract: A system for hierarchical data storage management and transparent data backup in a high speed, high volume Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop environment comprising first and second Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loops, each coupling a Transaction Server and backup HSM server to high speed disk drives and mirrored high speed disk drives respectively. The two loops are coupled by a Bridge compatible with the Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop protocol which forwards write transactions directed to the mirrored disk drives from the first loop the second but keeps read transaction from the Transaction Server to the high speed disk drives on the first loop isolated from backup and HSM transactions occurring on the second loop between the backup HSM server, the mirrored disk drives and backup storage devices coupled to the backup HSM server.

Abstract: A learning half bridge and bridge for a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop and switching protocol. A half bridge can be coupled to a local loop segment and a remote loop segment. The half bridge includes transmit and receive ports implementing predetermined switching and conflict resolution rules and a memory storing a forwarding table. Typically the switching rules are implemented using state machines. The state machines implement a switching protocol that controls transitions between states which control switching connections, writing of data to memory and reading of data from memory and preemption of conflicting OPN primitives. Each half bridge includes a local return segment that can be switched by the state machines to bypass the remote loop segment if both the source node and destination node are on the local loop segment so as to make the local loop segment a complete Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop.

Abstract: The genus of apparatus according to the teachings of the invention is characterized by use of a heat conducting elastomer which is compressed between an integrated circuit and a surface of a chassis made of heat conducting material such as Aluminum. The elastomer conducts heat from the integrated circuit to the surface of the chassis where it warms the entire chassis and is radiated to the ambient and removed by convection cooling. Since the chassis provides a much greater radiating and convection cooling surface, cooling of the integrated circuit is enhanced.