System and Method for Network Interfacing

Abstract

Systems and methods for network interfacing may include a communication data center with a first tier, a second tier and a third tier. The first tier may include a first server with a first single integrated convergent network controller chip. The second server may include a second server with a second single integrated convergent network controller chip. The third tier may include a third server with a third single integrated convergent network controller chip. The second server may be coupled to the first server via a single fabric with a single connector. The third server may be coupled to the second server via the single fabric with the single connector. The respective first, second and third server, each processes a plurality of different traffic types concurrently via the respective first, second and third single integrated convergent network chip over the single fabric that is coupled to the single connector.

1 .- 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A communication system, comprising:
 a controller comprising a single connector, said controller being operable for processing converged network traffic, wherein:   the converged network traffic is communicated over a single fabric,   the single connector is communicatively coupled to the single fabric,   the converged network traffic comprises a plurality of different traffic types,   the controller is on a server in a first tier of a multi-tier network.   
     
     
         37 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises network traffic. 
     
     
         38 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises storage traffic. 
     
     
         39 . The communication system according to  claim 38 , wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from a redundant-array-of-independent-disks (RAID) configuration. 
     
     
         40 . The communication system according to  claim 38 , wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from a storage device over the single fabric. 
     
     
         41 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises direct attached storage (DAS) traffic. 
     
     
         42 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises interprocess communication (IPC) traffic. 
     
     
         43 . The communication system according to  claim 42 , wherein the controller is operable for processing the IPC traffic using an RDMAP. 
     
     
         44 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises cluster traffic. 
     
     
         45 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the controller is operable to process at least two traffic types of the plurality of different traffic types 
     
     
         46 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the first tier comprises an application tier. 
     
     
         47 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the single fabric operates utilizing an OSI layer 2 (L2) protocol. 
     
     
         48 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the single fabric operates utilizing an Ethernet protocol. 
     
     
         49 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the single fabric operates utilizing an OSI transport layer and/or network layer protocol. 
     
     
         50 . The communication system according to  claim 49 , wherein the OSI transport layer and/or network layer protocol comprises transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP). 
     
     
         51 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the controller is operable for communicating with a storage device using an Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) protocol over the single fabric. 
     
     
         52 . The communication system according to  claim 48 , wherein the iSCSI protocol runs on top of TCP/IP. 
     
     
         53 . The communication system according to  claim 48 , wherein the iSCSI protocol runs on top of remote direct memory access protocol (RDMAP). 
     
     
         54 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the controller comprises a single PHY coupled between a single Ethernet connector and a single MAC, wherein the single PHY is operable to process the converged network traffic. 
     
     
         55 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the controller comprises a single frame parser operable for identifying each of the plurality of different traffic types. 
     
     
         56 . The communication system according to  claim 55 , wherein the frame parser is operable to parse incoming frames of the plurality of different traffic types into respective headers and data packets for subsequent data processing by the controller. 
     
     
         57 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the single fabric comprises a single backplane for transporting the plurality of different traffic types to a plurality of servers. 
     
     
         58 . The communication system according to  claim 36 , wherein the single connector is an OSI layer 2 (L2) connector 
     
     
         59 . A method for communication, the method comprising:
 communicating by a server of a multi-tier network, converged network traffic over a single fabric;   processing by said server, the converged network traffic, wherein the converged network traffic comprises a plurality of different traffic types; and   communicatively coupling a single connector on the server to the single fabric.   
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises network traffic. 
     
     
         61 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises storage traffic. 
     
     
         62 . The method according to  claim 61 , wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from a redundant-array-of-independent-disks (RAID) configuration. 
     
     
         63 . The method according to  claim 61 , wherein the storage traffic comprises traffic from a storage device over the single fabric. 
     
     
         64 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises direct attached storage (DAS) traffic. 
     
     
         65 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises interprocess communication (IPC) traffic. 
     
     
         66 . The method according to  claim 65 , wherein the server is processing the IPC traffic using an RDMAP. 
     
     
         67 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the plurality of different traffic types comprises cluster traffic. 
     
     
         68 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the server is processing at least two traffic types of the plurality of different traffic types 
     
     
         69 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein one tier in the multi-tier network comprises an application tier. 
     
     
         70 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the single fabric operates utilizing an OSI layer 2 (L2) protocol. 
     
     
         71 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the single fabric operates utilizing an Ethernet protocol. 
     
     
         72 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the single fabric operates utilizing an OSI transport layer and/or network layer protocol. 
     
     
         73 . The method according to  claim 72 , wherein the OSI transport layer and/or network layer protocol comprises transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP). 
     
     
         74 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the server is operable for communicating with a storage device using an Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) protocol over the single fabric. 
     
     
         75 . The method according to  claim 74 , wherein the iSCSI protocol runs on top of TCP/IP. 
     
     
         76 . The method according to  claim 74 , wherein the iSCSI protocol runs on top of remote direct memory access protocol (RDMAP). 
     
     
         77 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the server comprises a chip with a PHY coupled between an Ethernet connector and a MAC, wherein the PHY is operable to process the converged network traffic. 
     
     
         78 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the server comprises a chip with a single frame parser operable for identifying each of the plurality of different traffic types. 
     
     
         79 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein the frame parser is operable to parse incoming frames of the plurality of different traffic types into respective headers and data packets for subsequent data processing by the chip. 
     
     
         80 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the single fabric comprises a single backplane for transporting the plurality of different traffic types to a plurality of servers in the multi-tier network. 
     
     
         81 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the single connector is an OSI layer 2 (L2) connector.