Patent ID: 8843659

Claim:
A method of establishing a virtual link for transferring Fibre Channel (FC) messages over a switched Ethernet network, comprising: generating a dynamically, randomly created, unique media access control (MAC) address for an initiator system network adapter containing randomly generated bits; sending a solicitation message directly from the initiator system network adapter to a plurality of other system network adapters, in a network of at least three system network adapters, soliciting their descriptive information, said solicitation message being formatted as an FCoE Initiation Protocol (FIP) type message, and said solicitation message neither passing through nor utilizing any FCoE Forwarder (FCF), FC Switch or any FCF type device, and said solicited system network adapters themselves not being FCF type devices; receiving response messages from one or more system network adapters, each response message having descriptive information including a VN Port media access control (MAC) address corresponding to a responding system network adapter; creating from the received response messages a list of the responding system network adapters along with their descriptive information including media access control addresses; selecting a target system network adapter from among the listed system network adapters; sending a virtual link establishment request directly to the selected target system network adapter, wherein said virtual link establishment request is a fabric login request (FLOGI) within an FCoE Initiation Protocol (FIP) message sent directly to the selected target system network adapter without passing through or utilizing any FCoE Forwarder (FCF), FC Switch or FCF type device; receiving a positive virtual link establishment response directly from the selected target system network adapter, wherein said positive virtual link establishment response is a fabric login accept (FLOGI ACC) within an FCoE Initiation Protocol (FIP) message sent directly from the selected target system network adapter to the initiator system network adapter without passing through or utilizing any FCoE Forwarder (FCF), FC Switch or FCF type device; and forming a direct virtual link between the requesting initiator system network adapter and the responding selected target system network adapter within a network of at least three system network adapters that are Peer fibre channel over Ethernet adapters.