Patent ID: 8516154
Filing Date: 2013-08-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: transmitting network traffic encoded in a first protocol across a first communications link, wherein the first protocol allows a first plurality of simultaneous logical connections; receiving the transmitted network traffic at a first interface between the first communications link and a second communications link; encapsulating the received network traffic within frames at the first interface, wherein the frames are generated in accordance with a second protocol, and wherein the second protocol does not allow any plurality of simultaneous logical connections that are allowed by the first protocol; transmitting the frames from the first interface to a second interface across the second communications link; receiving the frames and then generating from the frames unencapsulated network traffic at the second interface, wherein the second interface is between the second communications link and a third communications link; and routing the unencapsulated network traffic to a selected logical connection of a second plurality of simultaneous logical connections across the third communications link, wherein transmission across the third communications link is in the first protocol, wherein the first protocol is a serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) protocol, wherein the second protocol is a fibre channel protocol, wherein the frames are fibre channel frames, wherein K characters are converted to D characters and then reconverted to the K characters during transmission of the network traffic, and wherein data communications is performed over a greater distance over the fibre channel protocol than over the SAS protocol.