Abstract: An interface switch which presents itself as switch to an enterprise fabric formed of the devices from the same manufacturer as the interface switch and that of a host or node to an enterprise fabric from a different manufacturer. This allows each enterprise fabric to remain in a higher performance operating mode. The multiplexing of multiple streams of traffic between the N_ports on the first enterprise fabric and the second enterprise fabric is accomplished by N_port Virtualization. The interface switch can be connected to multiple enterprise fabrics. All control traffic address mappings between virtual and physical addresses may be mediated and translated by the CPU of the interface switch and address mappings for data traffic performed at wire speed. Since the interface switch may preferably be a single conduit between the enterprise fabrics, it is also a good point to enforce perimeter defenses against attacks.

Abstract: An interface switch which presents itself as switch to an enterprise fabric formed of the devices from the same manufacturer as the interface switch and that of a host or node to an enterprise fabric from a different manufacturer. This allows each enterprise fabric to remain in a higher performance operating mode. The multiplexing of multiple streams of traffic between the N_ports on the first enterprise fabric and the second enterprise fabric is accomplished by N_port Virtualization. The interface switch can be connected to multiple enterprise fabrics. All control traffic address mappings between virtual and physical addresses may be mediated and translated by the CPU of the interface switch and address mappings for data traffic performed at wire speed. Since the interface switch may preferably be a single conduit between the enterprise fabrics, it is also a good point to enforce perimeter defenses against attacks.

Abstract: An interface switch which presents itself as switch to an enterprise fabric formed of the devices from the same manufacturer as the interface switch and that of a host or node to an enterprise fabric from a different manufacturer. This allows each enterprise fabric to remain in a higher performance operating mode. The multiplexing of multiple streams of traffic between the N_ports on the first enterprise fabric and the second enterprise fabric is accomplished by N_port Virtualization. The interface switch can be connected to multiple enterprise fabrics. All control traffic address mappings between virtual and physical addresses may be mediated and translated by the CPU of the interface switch and address mappings for data traffic performed at wire speed. Since the interface switch may preferably be a single conduit between the enterprise fabrics, it is also a good point to enforce perimeter defenses against attacks.

Abstract: An interface switch which presents itself as switch to an enterprise fabric formed of the devices from the same manufacturer as the interface switch and that of a host or node to an enterprise fabric from a different manufacturer. This allows each enterprise fabric to remain in a higher performance operating mode. The multiplexing of multiple streams of traffic between the N_ports on the first enterprise fabric and the second enterprise fabric is accomplished by N_port Virtualization. The interface switch can be connected to multiple enterprise fabrics. All control traffic address mappings between virtual and physical addresses may be mediated and translated by the CPU of the interface switch and address mappings for data traffic performed at wire speed. Since the interface switch may preferably be a single conduit between the enterprise fabrics, it is also a good point to enforce perimeter defenses against attacks.

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 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.