FCoE Port Negotiation via VLAN Intersection Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional port negotiation methods in Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) networks are inefficient due to redundancies and long convergence times, primarily caused by the transmission of FIP VLAN requests and notifications during the negotiation process between Fiber Channel Forwarders (FCFs).
Innovation Solution
The proposed method omits the transmission of FIP VLAN requests and notifications, utilizing FIP Discovery Solicitation and Advertisement messages to detect VLAN support on adjacent FCFs, allowing direct initiation of Exchange Link Parameters (ELP) negotiation only when both FCFs support the same Virtual Storage Area Network (VSAN), thereby simplifying the port negotiation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If FIP VLAN requests and notifications are transmitted during port negotiation between FCFs, then VLAN information can be exchanged between FCFs, but the negotiation process becomes complex and convergence time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the FIP VLAN request and notification messages from the port negotiation process. Instead of using these separate dedicated messages for VLAN information exchange, the invention utilizes the existing FIP Discovery Solicitation and Advertisement messages that are already part of the standard FCoE initialization protocol, thereby eliminating unnecessary complexity while maintaining the required information exchange functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the FIP Discovery Solicitation and Advertisement messages serve multiple functions: they simultaneously perform device discovery, capability advertisement, and VLAN information exchange. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate FIP VLAN request and notification messages, simplifying the overall negotiation process while achieving the same information exchange goals
2Loss of information
If FIP VLAN requests and notifications are transmitted during port negotiation between FCFs, then VLAN information can be exchanged between FCFs, but convergence time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the VLAN information exchange function with the existing FIP Discovery Solicitation and Advertisement message exchange. By combining multiple functions (discovery, capability advertisement, and VLAN information exchange) into a single message interaction, the patent eliminates the sequential transmission of separate FIP VLAN request and notification messages, thereby reducing the total convergence time while ensuring complete VLAN information exchange
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs VLAN information exchange as a preliminary action within the FIP Discovery phase, before the actual port negotiation and link activation. By incorporating VLAN information exchange into the initial Discovery Solicitation and Advertisement messages, the patent ensures that both FCFs have the necessary VLAN information available before proceeding with further negotiation steps, eliminating delays that would occur if VLAN information exchange were performed as a separate subsequent step
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example, port negotiation between FCFs is implemented through initiation of a negotiation to an opposite party corresponding to a VFC port on a FCF within a VLAN corresponding to each VSAN supported by the VFC port on the FCF. The port negotiation also includes a determination of an intersection of the VSAN and the VLAN supported by the VFC port and the VSAN and the VLAN supported by the opposite party corresponding to the VFC port on the FCF and performance of an ELP negotiation within the intersection of the VSAN and the VLAN.