FCoE Proxy Points Decoupling Control and Data Planes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) architectures are bottlenecked by the need for FCoE frames to traverse an intermediate Fibre Channel switching function (FCF), which limits scalability and introduces management complexities.
Innovation Solution
Decoupling the control and management planes from the data plane, splitting the FCF into a separately housed FCoE control and management plane (F-CMP) server and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) proxy points (FPPs), allowing direct communication and data plane functionality between FPPs without requiring traffic to pass through the F-CMP server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If FCoE frames traverse through an intermediate FCF for communication, then FCoE devices can communicate over Ethernet network, but the FCF becomes a bottleneck that limits scalability and network performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the FCF functionality into separate components: the control plane (F-CMP server) and the data plane (FPPs). This segmentation allows data traffic to flow directly between FPPs without being funneled through a single FCF, thereby eliminating the bottleneck while maintaining centralized control for management and zoning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces FPPs as intermediary devices that establish direct peer-to-peer connections between FCoE devices. These FPPs act as mediators that forward data traffic directly between sources and destinations without requiring traversal through the central FCF, thus improving network performance while the F-CMP server maintains control through separate control plane communications.
2Ease of operation
If FCF provides centralized control plane and management plane, then FCoE functionality can be managed, but the centralized architecture creates a single point of failure and management complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the FCF into distinct functional components: the F-CMP server handles control plane and management plane functions centrally, while multiple FPPs handle data plane functions distributed across the network. This segmentation reduces architecture complexity by clearly separating concerns and allowing independent scaling of control and data planes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the data plane functionality from the centralized FCF and places it in distributed FPPs. This extraction removes the bottleneck of centralized data forwarding while maintaining centralized control through the F-CMP server, thereby reducing management complexity without sacrificing ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If all FCoE traffic passes through FCF, then centralized control and zoning can be maintained, but network performance degrades due to the bottleneck effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments traffic control into control plane traffic (which continues to pass through the F-CMP server for centralized zoning and management) and data plane traffic (which flows directly between FPPs). This segmentation allows high-speed direct data transmission while maintaining centralized adaptability for zoning and control functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPPs serve as intermediaries that establish direct data paths between FCoE devices, bypassing the need for data traffic to traverse the central FCF. Control and zoning functions are maintained through separate control plane communications between FPPs and the F-CMP server, preserving centralized adaptability without impacting data transmission speed.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) proxy point (FPP) that is connected to one or more end-point devices is coupled to one or more other FPPs, and to a FCoE control and management plane (F-CMP) server. The FPP provides data plane functionality. The F-CMP server provides control plane functionality. At least some control and management traffic received at the FPP is proxied between the F-CMP server and the one or more end point devices connected to the FPP. FCoE traffic received at the FPP from the one or more end point devices connected to the FPP is transmitted to the one or more other FPPs without the FCoE traffic traversing the F-CMP server. The transmitting is performed by data plane functionality of the FPP operating under directions from the control plane functionality of the F-CMP server.