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Technology Stocks : Son of SAN - Storage Networking Technologies -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: trendmastr who wrote (2247)	9/15/2000 5:16:15 PM
From: Douglas Nordgren	Respond to of 4808

A broad based patent is an understatement. As near as I can determine from reading the Abstract and puzzling through some of the Claims, this particular patent sets mechanisms and "suggests" apparatus for linking (i.e. switching) private loops together. It defines specific methods to perform some general functions of connecting Private Loops without using Fabric services (e.g Loop Translation). They are: 1 - Frame Routing across Loops via ALPA (Arbitrated Loop Physical Address) Routing Filters. 2 - Creating Logical Loops from subsets of devices attached to private loops. (Zoning across loops?) 3 - Restricting private loop devices to a range of ALPAs. 4 - Resetting Hosts on a private loop when a device appears on or is removed from another connected private loop. 5 - Operating with SCSI initiators generating link service rejects when no device or ALPA exists on the loop (it's on another loop?). I am not an engineer so this is only a very general interpretation. The Claims (the methods and "apparatus") are mostly gobbledygook to me and only the first few are posted here. I'm not sure how the switch vendors handle ALPA segmentation for soft zoning private loops so I can't say how this affects them. Perhaps Gadzoox' private loop switching and "Stealth Mode" technology may fall under this patent. The SCSI initiator mechanism for cross loop devices comes into play with RAIDs, JBODs and Tapes. The Bridge Router companies (Crossroads) may fall under this patent also. I hope Lucent can pick up VIXL's fortunes. <g> Douglas Methods and apparatus for fiber channel interconnection of private loop devices ABSTRACT Methods and apparatus for Fiber Channel interconnection is provided between a plurality of private loop devices through a Fiber Channel private loop device interconnect system. In the preferred embodiments, the Fiber Channel private loop device interconnect system is a fabric or an intelligent bridging hub. In one aspect of this invention, a Fiber Channel private loop device is connected to two or more Arbitrated Loops containing, or adapted to contain, one or more private loop devices. Preferably, the interconnect system includes a routing filter to filter incoming Arbitrated Loop physical addresses (ALPAs) to determine which Fiber Channel frames must attempt to be routed through the fabric. Numerous topologies of interconnect systems may be achieved. In another aspect of this invention, a method is provided for implementing a logical loop of private loop devices by segmenting the logical loop into a plurality of sets, assigning each set to a physical Arbitrated Loop and connecting the Arbitrated Loops to a Fiber Channel private loop device interconnect system. Additional methods are provided for restricting attached devices to Arbitrated Loop physical addresses within certain ranges. Additionally, methods are provided for resetting hosts, the method generally comprising the steps of detecting the addition of a storage device to a first Arbitrated Loop, and thereafter, resetting the Arbitrated Loop or loops on which a host or hosts reside on second Arbitrated Loop. Methods for operation with use of SCSI initiators generate a link service reject when no address match is found, or when an address match is found, but where no device with the destination ALPA exists on the Arbitrated Loop corresponding to the destination. CLAIMS 1. A system for interconnecting a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop having one or more directly attached Private Loop Devices and a second device to communicate Fibre Channel frames, comprising; a first Arbitrated Loop containing one or more private loop devices, a second device, a Fibre Channel private loop device interconnect system, the interconnect system including: a first port containing a first port control module coupled to the first Arbitrated Loop, a second port containing a second port control nodule coupled to the second device, the first and second port control modules each containing a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop Port State Machine, the Loop Port State Machine including: an active L.sub.-- Port, implementing the Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop protocol, including the generation of ARBs, OPNs and Closes, the first loop port state machine providing point to point connection between the first loop port state machine and a private loop device on the first Arbitrated Loop, route determination apparatus for selecting a route between the port control modules, and connectivity apparatus coupled to the first and second port control modules and to the route determination apparatus for switching frames between ports under control of the route determination apparatus, whereby Fibre Channel frames are transferred between a private loop device on the first Arbitrated Loop and the second device. 2. A system for interconnecting a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop having one or more directly attached Private Loop Devices and a second device to communicate Fibre Channel frames, comprising: a first Arbitrated Loop adapted to contain one or more private loop devices, a Fibre Channel private loop device interconnect system, the interconnect system including: a first port containing a first port control module adapted to be coupled to the first Arbitrated Loop, a second port containing a second port control module adapted to be coupled to the second device, the first and second port control modules each containing a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop Port State Machine, the Loop Port State Machine including: an active L.sub.-- Port, implementing the Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop protocol, including the generation of ARBs, OPNs and Closes, the first Loop Port State Machine providing point to point connection between the first Loop Port State Machine and a private loop device on the first Arbitrated Loop, route determination apparatus for selecting a route between the port control modules, and connectivity apparatus coupled to the first and second port control modules and to the route determination apparatus for switching frames between ports under control of the route determination apparatus, whereby Fibre Channel frames are transferred between a private loop device on the first Arbitrated Loop and the second device. 3. The interconnection system of claim 1 or 2 wherein a private loop device includes storage. 4. The interconnection system of claim 3 wherein the storage includes JBODs. 5. The interconnection system of claim 3 wherein the storage includes RAIDS. 6. The interconnection system of claim 3 wherein the storage includes tape drives. 7. The interconnection system of claim 1 or 2 wherein a said private loop device includes a host. Cont'd 164.195.100.11