Patent ID: 7139240

Claim:
A Fibre Channel frame transmission method, comprising: receiving, at a Fibre Channel port on a first Fibre Channel switch device, a first frame; sending a first message to a second Fibre Channel switch device through a Fibre Channel port on the first Fibre Channel switch device, the first message indicating the first frame is to be transmitted as a pull-frame; receiving a second message through a Fibre Channel port on the first Fibre Channel switch device, the second message indicating the second Fibre Channel switch device is adapted to receive and, substantially immediately, forward the first frame to a target destination; and sending the first frame to the second Fibre Channel switch device through a Fibre Channel port on the first Fibre Channel switch device, said first frame modified to indicate the identity of the second Fibre Channel switch device and a Fibre Channel port on the second Fibre Channel switch device through which the first frame is to be forwarded to the target destination.