Patent ID: 7934023

Claim:
A switch comprising: a port configured to receive a write command frame, the frame having a header comprising an originator exchange identifier (OX_ID) field and a receiver exchange identifier (RX_ID) field, as well as a Host identifier field and a target identifier field, wherein the Host and the target identifier fields identify Host and target devices, and wherein the OX_ID and the RX_ID exchange identifier fields enable the Host and the target to keep track of various transactions between each other; a trapping mechanism configured to trap the write command frame; and a processor configured to process the trapped write command frame by modifying the OX_ID field of the write command frame header to include a new value of an OX_ID exchange identifier before sending the write command frame to the target; wherein the processor is further configured to generate a transfer ready command frame, initialize a receiver exchange identifier (RX_ID) of the transfer ready command frame by assigning a value to the RX_ID field, the assigned RX_ID corresponding to a write command session, send the transfer ready command frame to the initiating Host before receiving a transfer ready command frame from the target; receive a command frame with the assigned RX_ID value; and use the RX_ID value as a handle for accessing information pertaining to the write command session in a sessions table, the sessions table storing information about one or more sessions or exchanges.