Interconnect system and method for ethernet networks

Abstract

The Fibre Channel standard was created by the American National Standard for Information Systems (ANSI) X3T11 task group to define a serial I/O channel for interconnecting a number of heterogeneous peripheral devices to computer systems as well as interconnecting the computer systems themselves through optical fiber and copper media at gigabit speeds (i.e., one billion bits per second). Multiple protocols such as SCSI (Small Computer Serial Interface), IP (Internet Protocol), HIPPI, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) among others can concurrently utilize the same media when mapped over Fibre Channel. A Fibre Channel Fabric is an entity which transmits Fibre Channel frames between connected Node Ports. The Fibre Channel fabric routes the frames based on the destination address as well as other information embedded in the Fibre Channel frame header. Node Ports are attached to the Fibre Channel Fabric through links.

1 . A network controller comprising:
 a receiver operable to receive a plurality of Ethernet frames, each Ethernet frame in the plurality of Ethernet frames being associated with a priority; and   a processor operably coupled to the receiver, the processor being operable to validate the plurality of Ethernet frames and implement alternate routing in the case of port failure, where Ethernet frames associated with a higher priority are validated before validation of Ethernet frames associated with a lower priority.   
     
     
         2 . The network controller of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is operable to detect a receiver buffer overrun condition. 
     
     
         3 . The network controller of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is operable to receive data via a first port and is operable to send data to the processor. 
     
     
         4 . The network controller of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is operable to receive data from the receiver and is operable to transmit data to a second port over a first data path. 
     
     
         5 . The network controller of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is operable to receive data from the receiver and is operable to transmit data to a third port over a second data path. 
     
     
         6 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the first data path is associated with a first link speed and the second data path is associated with a second link speed, the first link speed being different from the second link speed. 
     
     
         7 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the first data path is associated with a first priority and the second data path is associated with a second priority, the first priority being different from the second priority. 
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling data communication, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of Ethernet frames, each Ethernet frame in the plurality of Ethernet frames being associated with a priority;   validating the plurality of Ethernet frames to detect a port failure, where Ethernet frames associated with a higher priority are validated before validation of Ethernet frames associated with a lower priority; and   implementing alternate routing if the port failure is detected.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein receiving a plurality of Ethernet frames comprises:
 receiving one or more Ethernet frames, of the plurality of Ethernet frames, from a first data path, the first data path comprising a first port and a second port, the first data path being associated with a first priority; and   receiving one or more Ethernet frames, of the plurality of Ethernet frames, from a second data path, the second data path comprising the first port and a third port, the second data path being associated with a second priority.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method comprises:
 determining whether the second port failed;   determining whether the third port failed; and   enabling an alternate data path when one or both of the second port and the third port fail.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first data path is associated with a first link speed and the second data path is associated with a second link speed, the first link speed being different from the second link speed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method comprises monitoring for a receiver buffer overrun condition associated with data received by a first port. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method comprises:
 receiving data via a first port; and   transmitting the data to a signaling layer module.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method comprises:
 receiving data from a transmission layer module; and   transmitting data via a first port.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method comprises:
 receiving data via a first port; and   sending data to a transmission layer module.   
     
     
         16 . A network controller comprising:
 a receiver operable to receive data via a first data path and a second data path, the first data path comprising a first port and a second port, the first data path being associated with a first priority, the second data path comprising the first port and a third port, the second data path being associated with a second priority;   a processor operably coupled to the receiver, the processor being operable to validate the plurality of Ethernet frames to detect a port failure, where Ethernet frames associated with a higher priority are validated before validation of Ethernet frames associated with a lower priority.   
     
     
         17 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is operable to implement alternate routing if the port failure is detected. 
     
     
         18 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the first data path is associated with a first link speed and the second data path is associated with a second link speed, the first link speed being different from the second link speed. 
     
     
         19 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is operable to monitor for a receiver buffer overrun condition associated with data received by the first port. 
     
     
         20 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is operable to queue one or more blocked path requests associated with the port failure.