Fibre Channel Virtual Host Bus Adapter Port Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Fibre Channel networks, multiple operating system images executing on a single platform cannot share a common port due to the mapping of port addresses to unique World-Wide Name identifiers, preventing simultaneous communication with fabric devices.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows multiple operating system images to share a common host bus adapter port by associating unique fabric-wide identifiers with each OS image, enabling independent and transparent communication through a single port using Fibre Channel accept frames and updating fabric name service functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a port address is mapped to a unique WWN identifier for communication, then communication reliability is improved, but port sharing capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the port identification function by introducing virtual port identifiers (pWWN) that are distinct from the physical port identifier (phyp_port_id). Each OS image is assigned a unique pWWN, allowing multiple OS images to share the same physical port while maintaining unique identification and communication reliability through their respective virtual identifiers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary mapping layer between the physical port and OS images. The host bus adapter maintains a mapping table that associates each pWWN with the corresponding phyp_port_id and OS image. This intermediary layer allows the physical port to serve multiple OS images while preserving the one-to-one mapping requirement for reliable communication.
2Productivity
If multiple OS images share a common port, then resource utilization is improved, but identifier uniqueness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The identification space is segmented into two levels: physical port level (shared by multiple OS images) and virtual port level (unique to each OS image). The pWWN serves as the virtual identifier that provides uniqueness at the OS image level while allowing sharing at the physical port level, thus resolving the conflict between resource utilization and identifier uniqueness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a virtualization dimension to the port identification system. Instead of relying solely on the physical port identifier, a second dimension (pWWN) is introduced that provides unique identification for each OS image accessing the port. This dimensional expansion allows multiple OS images to share the physical port while maintaining identifier uniqueness through the virtual identifier space.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices to allow multiple operating system images to simultaneously access a Fiber Channel fabric through a common host bus adapter port are described. For each requesting operating system image, a fabric switch maintains a unique port identifier value and a unique fabric channel address so that each operating system image may be uniquely identified across the fabric.