Patent ID: 6400730
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
In a network, a method of routing data packets in a switch device having at least three port interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:receiving a packet from a first network device at a first port interface of the at least three port interfaces of the switch device, wherein the packet is one of a SCSI formatted packet, a Fibre Channel (FC) formatted packet and an Internet protocol (IP) formatted packet, wherein the first port interface is communicably coupled to the first network device; converting the received packet into a packet having an internal format; routing the internal format packet to a second port interface of the at least three port interfaces of the switch device based on addressing information in the received packet; reconverting the internal format packet to one of a SCSI formatted packet, an FC formatted packet and an IP formatted packet; and transmitting the reconverted packet to a second network device communicably coupled to the second port interface; wherein the first network device is one of a server and a storage device, and wherein the second network device is one of a server and a storage device.