Draining the Virtualization Swamp

T11/08-554v02 October 2008

Bob Nixon (bob.nixon@emulex.com)

2 October 2008T11/08-554v0

Draining the Virtualization Swamp

In the last few months, we have risen above the virtual alligators that have been biting us, and we architected a means of draining the swamp they inhabit…without bulldozing too much of the established neighborhood of terms, concepts, and specification text.A presentation in an FC-SW-5 interim meeting (Sep. 24, 2008) introduced that architecture into switches, and suggested a couple possible improvements.With attention to limiting collateral damage, here is how that improved architecture could be implemented in FC-FS-3.

2 October 2008T11/08-554v0

FC-3

• • •

ULP • • • ULPULP • • •

• • • • • •

Node

• • •

VN_Port

PN_Port

FC-4FC-4FC-4

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

LCF

FC-2V

PN_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

LCF

Nx_PortFC-2V

PN_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

LCF

Nx_PortFC-2V

VN_PortFC-2V

VN_PortFC-2V••• •••

FC-2MFC-2M FC-2M

Today’s model

2 October 2008T11/08-554v0

Virtualize the node (vnode)

vnode

FC-3

• • •

vnode

FC-4FC-4

• • • ULPULP

FC-3

FC-4

ULP

node

• • • • • •

VN_Port

PN_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2PLCF

FC-2V

PN_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2PLCF

Nx_PortFC-2V

PN_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2PLCF

Nx_PortFC-2V

VN_PortFC-2V

VN_PortFC-2V••• •••

FC-2MFC-2M FC-2M

2 October 2008T11/08-554v0

Let the PN_Port actually be P(hysical)

vnode

FC-3

• • •

vnode

FC-4FC-4

• • • ULPULP

FC-3

FC-4

ULP

node

• • • • • •

FC_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

PN_Port

VN_PortFC-2V

FC_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

PN_Port

VN_PortFC-2V

FC-2M FC-2M

VN_Port

FC_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

PN_Port

FC-2V

VN_Port

FC-2V

VN_Port

FC-2V••• •••

FC-2M

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Provide a hook for link aggregation

vnode

FC-3

• • •

• • •

vnode

• • •

VN_Port

FC_Port

FC-4FC-4

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

PN_Port

FC-2V

FC_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

PN_Port

VN_PortFC-2V

FC_Port

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

PN_Port

VN_PortFC-2V

VN_PortFC-2V

VN_PortFC-2V••• •••

FC-2MFC-2M FC-2M

• • • ULPULP

FC-3

FC-4

ULP

node

FC-1

FC-0

FC-2P

PN_Port

• • •

Plan now, we may want it soon!

2 October 2008T11/08-554v0

FC-2 Multiplexer sublevel: The sublevel in the Fibre Channel architecture that routes frames between FC-2V instances (e.g., VN_Ports) and one or more LCFs, based on the D_ID in the Frame_Header (see 9.5) and the VF_ID in the VFT_Header if there is a VFT_Header (see 10.2.4).

FC_Port: A port that is capable of transmitting and receiving Fibre Channel frames according to the FC-0, FC-1, FC-2P, FC-2M and FC-2V levels of the Fibre Channel architecture. An FC_Port contains at least one LCF and at least one VN_Port, and may contain other types of FC-2V instances (e.g., an F_Port Controller) (see FC-SW-5).

Note: This standard does not specify the operation of more than one LCF in a single FC_Port.

node: A physical entity containing one or more vnodes and one or more FC_Ports. All frames received at a node are terminated at some protocol level within that node.

Node_Name: A Name_Identifier associated with a vnode (see clause 15 and FC-LS-2).

PN_Port: An LCF in a node.

VFT Tagging P(N/F)_Port: A P(N/F)_Port operating in an FC_Port that has enabled processing of Virtual Fabric Tagging Headers.

vnode: A collection of one or more VN_Ports controlled by a level above FC-2.

Definitions

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Architectural text

The components of a Fibre Channel node are: the node, which is the physical container for the remaining objects in

this list; one or more vnodes, each of which identifies a collection of one or more

ULPs and their FC-4 mappings, an FC-3 level, and one or more Nx_Ports; one or more ULPs, which are application protocols carried over Fibre

Channel; An FC-4 level with FC-4 mappings for each ULP onto the FC-3 functions

offered by the vnode and the FC-2 functions offered by each VN_Port; one or more FC_Ports, each of which includes one or more VN_Ports and

one or more PN_Ports; one or more VN_Ports, each of which is an independent end point for

Fibre Channel communication; and one or more PN_Ports, each of which is an LCF that operates a Fibre

Channel link.

The architectural model of a Switch may be found in FC-SW-5.

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Impact: much less than I expected

Glossary updates where neededChange node to vnode

25 in FC-FS-3 about 50 in FC-LS-2 (mostly in RNID/RLIR) none in FC-SW-5 and elsewhere FC-GS-6 is a future hook on which I am already caught

Change PN_Port or its context in FC-LS-2 (08-379v1): 5 other than VF/NPIV (which is debatably

OK) In FC-FS-3: 10

If Classes 1/6 are retained, it may be best to describe them as a function of FC-2M and the Fabric, not of PN_Port and the Fabric

In FC-FS-3, several tens of changes.

2 October 2008T11/08-554v0

Back into that swamp,it’s almost dry!