Patent ID: 8340120

Claim:
A network adapter card comprising: a host interface for connection to a host computer; a network interface for connection to one of two different protocol networks, said network interface including two port connections; and a chip connected to said host interface and said network interface which operates according to one of the two different protocols based on a selection made by a user, said chip transferring data between said host interface and said network interface, said chip including: two chip ports, each connected to one port connection of said network interface; an Ethernet engine corresponding to a first of the different network protocols and having two ports; a Fibre Channel engine corresponding to a second of the different network protocols and having two ports; and a connection interface connected to said two ports of said Ethernet and Fibre Channel engines and said two chip ports, said connection interface configured to allow said two chip ports to be connected to any combination of said two ports of said Ethernet and Fibre Channel engines, wherein said Ethernet and Fibre Channel engines are interconnected to allow use of the Fibre Channel over Ethernet protocol so that said Ethernet engine is connected to said network interface and to said host interface and said Fibre Channel engine is connected to said network interface and to said host interface, such that Fibre Channel over Ethernet data interfaces with an Ethernet protocol network through said Ethernet engine and with the host computer through said Fibre Channel engine, Ethernet data interfaces with an Ethernet protocol network through said Ethernet engine and with the host computer through said Ethernet engine and Fibre Channel data interfaces with a Fibre Channel protocol network through said Fibre Channel engine and with the host computer through said Fibre Channel engine, and wherein the user selection selects the network protocol for each chip port independently.