Method and apparatus for establishing metazones across dissimilar networks
View Patent ↗A system and method for creating and enforcing meta-zones that cross the interface between different network protocols are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of enforcing meta-zones comprises: (a) receiving an Infiniband (IB) packet destined for a Fiber Channel (FC) target device; (b) comparing a partition key in the IB packet to a partition key associated with the FC target device; and (c) converting the IB packet to a FC frame only if the partition keys match. The method may further comprise receiving FC frames destined for an IB target device and converting the FC frame into an IB packet having a partition key associated with the source of the FC frame. Also disclosed are a gateway configured to create and enforce meta-zones, and computer networks having such a gateway.
1. A method of enforcing a zone that includes devices in networks having different protocols, wherein the method comprises:
receiving a first protocol packet destined for a target device using a second protocol;
emulating a first protocol communication administrator for the target device using the second protocol;
comparing a zone indicator in the first protocol packet to a zone indicator associated with the target device; and
converting the first protocol packet to a packet in the second protocol only if the zone indicators match.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second protocol packet destined for a target device using the first protocol; and
converting the second protocol packet into a first protocol packet, wherein the converting includes inserting a zone indicator associated with a source of the second protocol packet.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second protocol packet is addressed to a virtual target associated with said target device using the first protocol.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protocol packet is addressed to a virtual target associated with said target device using the second protocol.
5. A method of creating a meta-zone, wherein the method comprises:
determining a list of first protocol target devices coupled to a gateway;
determining a list of second protocol devices coupled to a gateway;
identifying groups of target devices, wherein at least one group includes a first protocol target device and a second protocol target device;
emulating a first protocol communication administrator for the second protocol target device;
propagating group-identifying information to a zone service that operates in accordance with the first protocol; and
propagating group-identifying information to a zone service that operates in accordance with the second protocol.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
creating a virtual first protocol target for each second protocol target device that is in a group having at least one first protocol target device.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
creating a virtual second protocol target for each first protocol target device that is in a group having at least one second protocol target device.
8. A computer network that comprises:
a first network that operates according to a first protocol;
a second network that operates according to a second protocol different from the first protocol; and
a gateway coupled between the first and second networks, and configured to enforce a meta-zone configuration,
wherein the meta-zone configuration includes at least one meta-zone having at least one first protocol target device and at least one second protocol target device as members; and
wherein the gateway is configured to emulate at least one first protocol communication administrator for the at least one second protocol target device.
9. The computer network of claim 8 , wherein the meta-zone excludes at least one first protocol and at least one second protocol target device.
10. The computer network of claim 8 , wherein the gateway is configured to associate a zone identifier with the first protocol target devices in the meta-zone.
11. The computer network of claim 10 , wherein the gateway is configured to compare a zone identifier in each second protocol packet to a zone identifier associated with a destination of the second protocol packet, and wherein the gateway converts the second protocol packets with matching zone identifiers into first protocol packets.
12. The computer network of claim 10 , wherein the gateway converts first protocol packets into second protocol packets, and wherein the conversion includes inserting in the second protocol packet a zone identifier associated with a source of the first protocol packet.
13. The computer network of claim 8 , wherein the gateway is configured to provide virtual second protocol targets that correspond to those first protocol target devices in meta-zones that include second protocol target devices.
14. The computer network of claim 8 , wherein the gateway is configured to provide virtual first protocol targets that correspond to those second protocol target devices in meta-zones that include first protocol target devices.
15. A gateway that comprises:
first protocol ports;
second protocol ports; and
a protocol conversion engine coupled between the first protocol ports and second protocol ports,
wherein the protocol conversion engine is configured to associate a zone identifier with one or more first protocol target devices coupled to the first protocol ports; and
wherein the protocol conversion engine is configured to emulate at least one first protocol communication administrator for at least one second protocol port.
16. The gateway of claim 15 , wherein the protocol conversion engine is configured to convert first protocol packets from the one or more first protocol target devices into second protocol packets that include the zone identifier.
17. The gateway of claim 15 , wherein the protocol conversion engine is configured to provide virtual first protocol targets that correspond to only those second protocol target devices in meta-zones that include one or more first protocol target devices.