VLAN to VF Network Mapping via FCF Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current FCoE devices have a one-to-one mapping relationship between VF IDs and VLAN IDs, leading to inflexible VLAN usage, resource wastage, and complex network configurations, limiting service isolation and causing VLAN link blocking.
Innovation Solution
Configuring VF networks to correspond to multiple VLANs, allowing shared network resources and establishing relationships between FCIDs and VLAN IDs for intercommunication, thereby decoupling VF and VLAN relationships and enabling flexible VLAN allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a one-to-one mapping relationship between VF ID and VLAN ID is established, then the mapping is simple and straightforward, but the VLAN usage becomes inflexible and resource wastage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables one VF network to serve multiple VLANs simultaneously, making the VF network universal and multi-functional. The FCF device can handle multiple VLAN IDs mapping to the same VF ID, allowing the system to adapt to different VLAN configurations without creating separate VF networks, thus resolving the contradiction between mapping simplicity and VLAN usage flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple VLANs into a single VF network by allowing multiple VLAN IDs to map to the same VF ID. This combining approach eliminates the need for separate VF networks for each VLAN, reducing resource duplication while maintaining flexible VLAN segmentation, thereby solving both the simplicity and flexibility requirements.
2Reliability
If VLANs are partitioned into different VF networks to utilize link isolation functions, then service isolation is improved, but system resources (CPU, memory) are heavily consumed and network configuration becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the VF network universal by enabling it to handle multiple VLANs simultaneously while maintaining service isolation through VLAN tagging. This eliminates the need to create multiple VF networks for different VLANs, significantly reducing configuration complexity and resource consumption while preserving the link isolation benefits of VLANs.
Solution Approach 2:
The FCF device acts as an intermediary that handles VLAN-to-VF mapping and translation. By introducing this mediation layer, the system can maintain simple VF network configurations while still providing VLAN-level service isolation, as the FCF manages the mapping relationships and routing between VLANs and the shared VF network.
3Reliability
If multiple VF networks are created to support different VLANs, then VLAN link isolation is achieved, but resource consumption (CPU, memory) increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple VLANs into a single shared VF network, eliminating the need to duplicate VF network resources for each VLAN. By allowing multiple VLAN IDs to map to the same VF ID, the system achieves VLAN link isolation through the FCF's mapping mechanism rather than through separate VF networks, significantly reducing CPU and memory resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the VF network to serve multiple VLANs simultaneously, making it a universal resource that can handle different VLAN traffic while maintaining isolation. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve link isolation benefits without creating multiple dedicated VF networks, thereby reducing overall resource consumption.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are an implementation method and device for a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) to access a Visual Fabric (VF) network, and a Fibre Channel over Ethernet Forwarder (FCF). The method includes that: a VF network and corresponding relationships between the VF network and plurality of VLANs needing to access are configured according to a preset rule; and the plurality of VLANs are associated to the same VF network according to the configured corresponding relationships, wherein terminals in different VLANs are allowed to perform data intercommunication. Through the above technical solutions, the present disclosure solves the problems in the traditional art that resources are wasted and network configuration implementation is complicated when the VLAN accesses the VF network, thereby removing a corresponding relationship of strong coupling between the VF network and the VLAN, implementing flexible allocation of the VLANs under the same VF network, and saving network resources.