Method and system for facilitating QoS zoning in a network
View Patent ↗One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates end-to-end quality of service (QoS) between a source and a destination in a network. During operation, the system allocates virtual channels on an output port of a switch to a number of quality of service (QoS) levels. The system further assigns a virtual channel to a traffic flow based on a QoS zone, wherein the QoS zone is identified by a host identifier, a target identifier, and a QoS level of the traffic flow. In addition, the system forwards data frames in the traffic flow via the assigned virtual channel.
1. A system comprising:
an allocation mechanism configured to allocate virtual channels on an output port of a switch to a number of quality of service (QoS) levels;
an assignment mechanism configured to assign a virtual channel to a traffic flow based on a QoS zone, wherein the QoS zone is identified by a host identifier, a target identifier, and a QoS level of the traffic flow; and
a forwarding mechanism configured to forward data frames in the traffic flow via the assigned virtual channel.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a zone-configuration mechanism configured to allow a user to configure the QoS zone by specifying a host identifier, a target identifier, and the QoS level.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the QoS level is indicated by a prefix of the identifier of the QoS zone.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host identifier and the target identifier are both Fibre Channel world wide names.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the QoS level of the QoS zone is designated as high, medium, or low.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein while allocating the virtual channels to the QoS levels, the allocation mechanism is configured to allocate a predetermined number of virtual channels to a respective QoS level and allocate a predetermined amount of bandwidth of the output port to these virtual channels.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conversion mechanism configured to convert the traffic flow to a default QoS priority level in response to determining that a next-hop switch does not support QoS zones.
8. A method comprising:
allocating virtual channels on an output port of a switch to a number of quality of service (QoS) levels;
assigning a virtual channel to a traffic flow based on a QoS zone, wherein the QoS zone is identified by a host identifier, a target identifier, and a QoS level of the traffic flow; and
forwarding data frames in the traffic flow via the assigned virtual channel.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising allowing a user to configure the QoS zone by specifying a host identifier, a target identifier, and the QoS level.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the QoS level is indicated by a prefix of the identifier of the QoS zone.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the host identifier and the target identifier are both Fibre Channel world wide names.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the QoS level of the QoS zone is designated as high, medium, or low.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein allocating the virtual channels to the QoS levels comprises allocating a predetermined number of virtual channels to a respective QoS level and allocating a predetermined amount of bandwidth of the output port to these virtual channels.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising converting the traffic flow to a default QoS priority level in response to determining that a next-hop switch does not support QoS zones.
15. A switch comprising:
a switching module;
a zoning module comprising:
an allocation mechanism configured to allocate virtual channels on an output port of a switch to a number of quality of service (QoS) levels; and
an assignment mechanism configured to assign a virtual channel to a traffic flow based on a QoS zone, wherein the QoS zone is identified by a host identifier, a target identifier, and a QoS level of the traffic flow; and
a transmission module configured to forward data frames in the traffic flow via the assigned virtual channel.
16. The switch of claim 15 , wherein the zoning module further comprises a zone-configuration mechanism configured to allow a user to configure the QoS zone by specifying a host identifier, a target identifier, and the QoS level.
17. The switch of claim 15 , wherein the QoS level is indicated by a prefix of the identifier of the QoS zone.
18. The switch of claim 15 , wherein the host identifier and the target identifier are both Fibre Channel world wide names.
19. The switch of claim 15 , wherein the QoS level of the QoS zone is designated as high, medium, or low.
20. The switch of claim 15 , wherein while allocating the virtual channels to the QoS levels, the allocation mechanism is configured to allocate a predetermined number of virtual channels to a respective QoS level and allocate a predetermined amount of bandwidth of the output port to these virtual channels.
21. The switch of claim 15 , further comprising a conversion module configured to convert the traffic flow to a default QoS priority level in response to determining that a next-hop switch does not support QoS zones.