Abstract: A method comprises: at a management entity configured to monitor a transceiver system having a transceiver to receive a signal that conveys data frames transmitted by a peer transceiver over a connection: collecting time series values for operating parameters of the transceiver associated with received data frames, including (i) a receive power, and (ii) counts of different media access control (MAC) layer frame errors that respectively indicate degradation levels for system performance ranked from highest to lowest; using the time series values, performing correlations of the receive power against the counts of the different MAC layer frame errors according to a correlation hierarchy that indicates which of the correlations correspond to which of the degradation levels, to produce correlation results; and responsive to the correlation results, determining a degraded component of the transceiver system.

Abstract: According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided to allow for distribution of fiber channel messages. Messages associated with a variety of applications can be distributed within a single logical fabric to physical connected but logically disconnected fabrics. Interconnecting switches forward messages to neighboring fabrics and aggregate responses before replying to a first fabric.

Abstract: Initiators and targets in a storage area network are presented as virtualized devices by a virtualization engine. An initiator accesses a virtualized target as though it was accessing a physical target. A target accesses a virtualized initiator as though it was accessing a physical initiator. A virtualization engine performs port World Wide Name (WWN) and FCID mapping to allow continued access to virtual initiators and virtual targets even if a particular physical initiator or physical target fails and the secondary is made active.

Abstract: A technique is provided for facilitating fabric membership login for an N13 Port of a storage area network. A communication from a network node is received. The communication may include a portion of criteria associated with the N13 Port. Using at least a portion of the portion of criteria, a virtual fabric identifier corresponding to a virtual fabric which is associated with the N13 Port may be automatically identified. Fabric configuration information, which includes the virtual fabric identifier, may be automatically provided to the network node. A fabric login request from the N13 Port to login to the virtual fabric may then be received. According to a specific embodiment, the communication may be transmitted from a network node to an F13 Port on a Fibre Channel switch.

Abstract: According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided to allow for distribution of fibre channel messages. Messages associated with a variety of applications can be distributed within a single logical fabric to physical connected but logically disconnected fabrics. Interconnecting switches forward messages to neighboring fabrics and aggregate responses before replying to a first fabric.

Abstract: A method (50) for determining if it is necessary to perform a search for a specified address in an address lookup table (LUT) (58) containing a plurality of addresses (59) is disclosed. The method (50) provides at least one ordered list (56) of address existence fields. The address existence fields are associated with lookup addresses obtained from at least one portion of the plurality of addresses (59). The method (50) indexes into the at least one ordered list (56) to access at least one address existence field associated with a corresponding portion of the specified address. The method (50) further checks the at least one address existence field to determine if a search of the specified address in the address LUT (58) is necessary.

Abstract: A method (50) for determining if it is necessary to perform a search for a specified address in an address lookup table (LUT) (58) containing a plurality of addresses (59) is disclosed. The method (50) provides at least one ordered list (56) of address existence fields. The address existence fields are associated with lookup addresses obtained from at least one portion of the plurality of addresses (59). The method (50) indexes into the at least one ordered list (56) to access at least one address existence field associated with a corresponding portion of the specified address. The method (50) further checks the at least one address existence field to determine if a search of the specified address in the address LUT (58) is necessary.