US 11,671,381 B2
Virtual switch fabrics in converged networks
Ramesh Kumar Subbiah, Chennai (IN); and Vibin Varghese, Chennai (IN)
Assigned to Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by DELL PRODUCTS L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/170,084.
Application 17/170,084 is a continuation of application No. 16/254,252, filed on Jan. 22, 2019, granted, now 10,958,596.
Prior Publication US 2021/0184992 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. H04L 49/00 (2022.01); H04L 49/25 (2022.01); H04L 12/10 (2006.01); H04L 61/2592 (2022.01); H04B 10/25 (2013.01); H04L 12/46 (2006.01)
CPC H04L 49/70 (2013.01) [H04B 10/25 (2013.01); H04L 12/10 (2013.01); H04L 12/4633 (2013.01); H04L 49/25 (2013.01); H04L 61/2592 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A Fibre Channel communication switch fabric, comprising: a plurality of switches that are each configured to forward Fibre Channel communications based on Fibre Channel identifiers included in the Fibre Channel communications; and a virtual switch fabric, wherein a first switch in the plurality of switches is assigned, using a domain identifier assignment protocol, a first domain identifier in the virtual switch fabric for use in forwarding Fibre Channel communications in the virtual switch fabric, wherein a second switch in the plurality of switches is assigned, using the domain identifier assignment protocol, a second domain identifier in the virtual switch fabric for use in forwarding Fibre Channel communications in the virtual switch fabric, wherein the virtual switch fabric is configured to be extended to a third switch in the plurality of switches that is connected to the first switch device after having not previously participated in the virtual switch fabric and not previously being assigned a domain identifier in the virtual switch fabric, via a virtual fabric extension process that assigns an extension identifier associated with the virtual switch fabric to the third switch, and wherein the first switch device is configured to: receive a first Fibre Channel communication; and determine whether a destination domain identifier in a destination Fibre Channel identifier in the first Fibre Channel communication is a domain identifier associated with the virtual switch fabric and: if the destination domain identifier is not the domain identifier associated with the virtual switch fabric, forward the first Fibre Channel communication to the second switch having the domain identifier identified by the destination domain identifier; and if the destination domain identifier is the domain identifier associated with the virtual switch fabric, forward the first Fibre Channel communication to the third switch having the extension identifier that is included in the destination Fibre Channel identifier in the first Fibre Channel communication.