Combined FCoE network device
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the present invention are related to a device and a method for more efficiently processing Ethernet communications that include FCOE communications. In some embodiments the device is a single device including a combination of an aggregator, a filter and a gateway. Such a combination can be more practical, affordable and efficient than the usual arrangement of a several separate devices. In other embodiments, the device of the present invention can be a combination of a switch and a gateway. In yet other embodiments other types of devices can be used. More generally, embodiments of the present invention can apply to a device or method for processing communications involving a set of two network protocols (first and second protocols) as well as a third protocol, the third protocol being compatible with the first protocol and used to define how to tunnel the second protocol over the first protocol.
1. A method for processing a set of Ethernet communications including Fibre over Ethernet (FCoE) communications and non-FCoE communications comprising:
receiving the set of Ethernet communications;
sending a set of non-FCoE communications from the set of Ethernet communications to an Ethernet network;
converting a set of FCoE communications from the set of Ethernet communications into a set of Fibre Channel (FC) communications;
sending the set of FC communications to a FC network;
receiving a second set of FC communications;
converting the second set of FC communications into a second set of FCoE communications; and
sending the second set of FCoE communications to one or more devices,
wherein the entire method is performed at a single device including an aggregator, a filter and a gateway.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the set of Ethernet communications includes receiving the set of Ethernet communications from one or more blade servers.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the converting a set of FCoE communications further comprises:
sending the entire set of Ethernet communications to the filter;
selecting the set of FCoE communications from the entire set of Ethernet communications by the filter;
sending the set of FCoE communications to the gateway by the filter; and
converting the set of FCoE communications into a set of FC communications by the gateway.
4. A device for processing incoming Ethernet communications, the device being connected to
one or more source devices,
an Ethernet network, and
a Fibre channel (FC) network, the device comprising:
an aggregator configured to receive a set of Ethernet communications from the one or more source devices, send the set of Ethernet communications to the Ethernet network and to a filter;
the filter configured to receive the set of Ethernet communications from the aggregator, select a first set of FCoE communications from the set of Ethernet communications, and send the first set of FCoE communications to a gateway; and
the gateway configured to receive the first set of FCoE communications from the filter; convert the first set of FCoE communications into a set of FC communications, send the FC communications to the FC network; receive a second set of FC communications from the FC network, convert the second set of FC communications into the second set of FCoE communications, and forward the second set of FCoE communications to the aggregator to be forwarded by the aggregator to the one or more source devices.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more source devices are one or more blade servers.
6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the Ethernet communications are Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) communications.
7. The device of claim 4 , wherein the gateway is configured to forward the second set of FCoE communications to the aggregator through the filter.
8. A blade enclosure comprising a plurality of blade servers and the device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of blade servers are the one or more source devices.
9. A networked server system comprising the Ethernet network, the FC network and the blade enclosure of claim 8 .
10. A device for processing incoming Ethernet communications, comprising:
an aggregator connected to one or more source devices, an Ethernet network, and a filter and configured to receive a set of Ethernet communications from the one or more source devices, and send the entire set of Ethernet communications to the Ethernet network and the filter;
the filter connected to the aggregator and a gateway and configured to receive the set of Ethernet communications, and forward a set of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) communications to the gateway, the set of FCoE communications being a subset of the set of Ethernet communications; and
a gateway connected to the filter and a Fibre Channel (FC) network and configured to receive the set of FCoE communications, convert the set of FCoE communications into a set of FC communications, send the set of FC communications to the FC network, receive a second set of FC communications from the FC network, convert the second set of FC communications into a second set of FCoE communications, and forward the second set of FCoE communications to the aggregator to be forwarded to the one or more source devices.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more source devices comprise one or more blade servers.
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the Ethernet communications are Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) communications and the Ethernet network is a CEE network.
13. The device of claim 10 further comprising a management processor configured to configure and manage one or more of the aggregator, the filter and the gateway.
14. A blade enclosure comprising a plurality of blade servers and the device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of blade servers are the one or more source devices.
15. A networked server system comprising the Ethernet network, the FC network and the blade enclosure of claim 14 .
16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the aggregator, filter and gateway are mounted on a single printed circuit board within the device.
17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the aggregator, filter and gateway are implemented as part of a single integrated circuit.
18. A blade enclosure comprising a plurality of blade servers and a device for processing incoming Ethernet communications, comprising:
an aggregator connected to the plurality of blade servers, an Ethernet network, and a filter and configured to receive a set of Ethernet communications from the plurality of blade servers, and send the entire set of Ethernet communications to the Ethernet network and the filter;
the filter connected to the aggregator and a gateway and configured to receive the set of Ethernet communications, and forward a set of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) communications to the gateway, the set of FCoE communications being a subset of the set of Ethernet communications; and
a gateway connected to the filter and a Fibre Channel (FC) network and configured to receive the set of FCoE communications, convert the set of FCoE communications into a set of FC communications, send the set of FC communications to the FC network, receive a second set of FC communications from the FC network, convert the second set of FC communications into a second set of FCoE communications, and forward the second set of FCoE communications to the aggregator to be forwarded to the one or more source devices.
19. A method for processing a set of communications of a first protocol, comprising:
receiving the set of communications of the first protocol;
sending a first set of communications from the set of communications of the first protocol to a network of the first protocol;
converting a second set of communications from the set of communications of the first protocol into a third set of communications of a second protocol;
sending the third set of communications to a network of the second protocol;
receiving from the network a fourth set of communications of the second protocol;
converting the fourth set of communications into a fifth set of communications of the first protocol; and
sending the fifth set of communications to one or more devices,
wherein the entire method is performed at a single device including an aggregator, a filter and a gateway,
wherein the second and fifth sets of communications include includes communications of a third protocol, the third protocol being compatible with the first protocol and being effective to tunnel communications of the second protocol over the first protocol, and
wherein the first set of communications does not include communications of the third protocol.
20. A device for processing incoming communications of a first protocol, the device being connected to
one or more source devices,
a network of the first protocol, and
a network, of a second protocol, the device comprising:
an aggregator configured to receive a set of communications in the first protocol from the one or more source devices, and send the set of communications in the first protocol to the network of the first protocol and to a filter;
the filter configured to receive the set communications of the first protocol from the aggregator, select a set communications in a third protocol from the set of communications of the first protocol, and send the set of communications in the third protocol to a gateway; and
the gateway configured to receive the set of communications in the third protocol from the filter, convert the set of communications in the third protocol into a set of communications in the second protocol, send the communications in the second protocol to the network of the second protocol, receive a second set of communications of the second protocol from the network of the second protocol, convert the second set of communications of the second protocol into a second set of communications of the third protocol, and forward the second set of communications of the third protocol to the aggregator to be forwarded to the one or more source devices,
wherein the third protocol is compatible with the first protocol and is effective to tunnel communications of the second protocol over the first protocol.