Patent ID: 7844056
Filing Date: 2010-11-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: at a source entity, sending a Process Login (PLOGI) message to a target entity, the source entity and target entity being part of a fibre channel Fabric; at the source entity, receiving a PLOGI Accept message from the target entity, wherein the exchange of PLOGI messages allows the source entity and the target entity to determine whether either of the source entity or the target entity has limitations in supporting Extended Link Services (ELS) messages, wherein if either the source entity or target entity has ELS support limitations, the source entity sends a reporting message to which the target entity responds with a reporting accept message, the exchange of such reporting messages allowing the source entity and the target entity to identify the maximum length of an ELS message that the other entity is able to receive; determining at the source entity that an authentication message has a length that exceeds the ELS message length supported by the target entity; fragmenting the authentication message into message fragments including a first message fragment and a second message fragment; generating by using a processor at the source entity a first Extended Link Services (ELS) message including the first message fragment, wherein the first ELS message is associated with a first exchange; generating a second ELS message including the second message fragment, wherein the second ELS message is associated with a second exchange; at the source entity, sending the message fragments including the first message fragment and the second message fragment to the target entity, wherein the second message fragment is sent after determining that the first exchange is complete.