IB Subnet Administration Database for FC Address Lookup

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is no efficient method for a host computing system to determine the Infiniband (IB) address of the IB-to-FC adapter that supports a specific Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) I/O device, leading to impractical polling operations and performance degradation in large IB subnets.

Innovation Solution

The registration of SRP service names on an IB subnet administration database allows hosts to efficiently determine the IB addressing parameters by querying the database, eliminating the need for polling multiple I/O units and reducing complexity and performance degradation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If polling operations are used to determine IB address of IB-to-FC adapter, then host can identify FCP I/O devices, but system performance degrades and operation becomes impractical in large IB subnets

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidhost system performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an IB administration database as an intermediary between the host and IB-to-FC adapters. The database stores mappings between SRP service names and IB addresses, allowing hosts to query addressing information directly without polling multiple IOUs. This mediator eliminates the performance degradation caused by extensive polling operations while maintaining accurate device identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If polling multiple I/O units is performed to find IB-to-FC adapters, then FCP I/O device access is enabled, but device complexity and operation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice accessibilityVSAvoidaccess operation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-registering SRP service names and their corresponding IB addresses in the IB administration database before host access operations. This advance preparation eliminates the need for complex runtime polling and discovery operations, significantly simplifying the host's access operations while maintaining full adaptability to different FCP I/O devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If no centralized database is used, then system structure remains simple, but information retrieval becomes inefficient and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem structureVSAvoidaddress lookup time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a copied representation of the addressing information hierarchy by storing SRP service name to IB address mappings in the IB administration database. This copy allows hosts to quickly retrieve addressing information without traversing the physical adapter hierarchy, dramatically reducing lookup time while adding minimal structural complexity through the database component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS7620695B2Storing fibre channel information on an Infiniband administration data base

Publication Date: 2009.11.17 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Host computing systems with the ability to efficiently identify the Infiniband™ (IB) addressing parameters corresponding to Fibre Channel I/O devices that are accessible through IB-to-Fibre Channel adapters. An efficient means is described to store the IB addressing parameters pertaining to individual Fibre Channel I/O devices on a subnet administration database, and an efficient mechanism to recover from the database, the IB addressing parameters corresponding to all physical paths by which a desired Fibre Channel I/O device is accessible.