Bridge for implementing a converged network protocol to facilitate communication between different communication protocol networks

Abstract

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for a bridge for implementing a converged network protocol to facilitate communication between different communication protocol networks. A first adaptor implements a first communication protocol and a second adaptor implementing a converged network protocol, wherein the converged network protocol facilitates communication of packets encoded with a second communication protocol with a third communication protocol network. Parameters are configured in a memory for communication between the first adaptor and the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to indicate to the second adaptor that the converged network protocol is supported, wherein the first adaptor does not support the converged network protocol. A packet is received at the first adaptor encoded in the second communication protocol directed to the third communication protocol network. The packet is forwarded to the second adaptor to forward to the third communication protocol network. A command is received at the second adaptor, directed to the first adaptor, to implement a function in the converged network protocol for communication between the first and second adaptors. Operations are performed to implement the function using the parameters in the memory to support transmission of packets between the first and the second adaptors.

1 . A computer program product for managing communications among a first adaptor implementing a first communication protocol, a second adaptor implementing a converged network protocol, wherein the converged network protocol facilitates communication of packets encoded with a second communication protocol with a third communication protocol network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein that executes to communicate with the first and second adaptors and to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 configuring parameters in a memory for communication between the first adaptor and the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to indicate to the second adaptor that the converged network protocol is supported, wherein the first adaptor does not support the converged network protocol;   receiving a packet at the first adaptor encoded in the second communication protocol directed to the third communication protocol network;   forwarding the packet to the second adaptor to forward to the third communication protocol network;   receiving a command at the second adaptor, directed to the first adaptor, to implement a function in the converged network protocol for communication between the first and second adaptors; and   performing operations to implement the function using the parameters in the memory to support transmission of packets between the first and the second adaptors.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the first adaptor comprises a legacy Ethernet adaptor, wherein the first communication protocol comprises the Ethernet protocol, wherein the second adaptor comprises an enhanced Ethernet adaptor, the second communication protocol comprises Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), the converged network protocol includes the Data Center Bridging Exchange protocol that supports lossless transmission with a Fibre Channel network, and wherein the third communication protocol network comprises the Fibre Channel network. 
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the function comprises a first function, wherein the function in the converged network protocol is not supported in the first communication protocol and in the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations to implement the first function from the second adaptor comprises:
 determining a second function in the first communication protocol and parameters to use with the function to implement the function from the second adaptor; and   transmitting the second function to the first adaptor.   
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate traffic classes for packets recognized in the converged network protocol but not the first communication protocol, wherein the function comprises a pause for a selected one of the classes of packets from the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations comprises:
 receiving packets from the first adaptor;   determining whether the received packets are of the selected class;   delaying the transmission of the received packets to the second adaptor in response to determining that the packets are of the selected class; and   forwarding the received packets to the second adaptor in response to determining that the packets are not of the selected class.   
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate classes of packets recognized in the converged network protocol but not the first communication protocol, wherein the function comprises a pause instruction in the converged network protocol for a selected one of the classes of packets from the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations comprising:
 sending a pause instruction in the first communication protocol to the first adaptor to cause the first adaptor to pause sending all packets.   
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving the pause instruction in the first communication protocol from the first adaptor to instruct the second adaptor to stop sending all packets;   in response to the pause instruction, sending at least one instruction to the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to pause sending all classes of packets configured for communication with the second adaptor.   
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the function comprises a keep alive request from the second adaptor, and wherein the operations further comprise sending the packet including the keep alive request to the first adaptor, wherein the keep alive request is processed by second communication protocol software in a host in a first communication protocol network. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate classes of packets supported in the converged network protocol, but not the first communication protocol, and bandwidth percentages for the different classes of packets, wherein the function comprises a bandwidth management function, and wherein the operations to implement the function comprise guaranteeing the bandwidth percentages to the classes of packets according to bandwidth percentages provided for the packets in the configuration parameters. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer product executes to communicate with a plurality of first type adaptors implementing the first communication protocol to forward packets from the first type adaptors, directed to the third communication protocol network, to the second adaptor. 
     
     
         10 . A system, comprising:
 a first adaptor implementing a first communication protocol;   a second adaptor implementing a converged network protocol, wherein the converged network protocol facilitates communication of packets encoded with a second communication protocol with a third communication protocol network, wherein the first adaptor does not support the converged network protocol;   a processor;   a memory including code executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 configuring parameters in the memory for communication between the first adaptor and the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to indicate to the second adaptor that the converged network protocol is supported; 
 receiving a packet at the first adaptor encoded in the second communication protocol directed to the third communication protocol network; 
 forwarding the packet to the second adaptor to forward to the third communication protocol network; 
 receiving a command at the second adaptor, directed to the first adaptor, to implement a function in the converged network protocol for communication between the first and second adaptors; and 
 performing operations to implement the function using the parameters in the memory to support transmission of packets between the first and the second adaptors. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first adaptor comprises a legacy Ethernet adaptor, wherein the first communication protocol comprises the Ethernet protocol, wherein the second adaptor comprises an enhanced Ethernet adaptor, the second communication protocol comprises Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), the converged network protocol includes the Data Center Bridging Exchange protocol that supports lossless transmission with a Fibre Channel network, and wherein the third communication protocol network comprises the Fibre Channel network. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the function comprises a first function, wherein the function in the converged network protocol is not supported in the first communication protocol and in the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations to implement the first function from the second adaptor comprises:
 determining a second function in the first communication protocol and parameters to use with the function to implement the function from the second adaptor; and   transmitting the second function to the first adaptor.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate traffic classes for packets recognized in the converged network protocol but not the first communication protocol, wherein the function comprises a pause for a selected one of the classes of packets from the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations comprises:
 receiving packets from the first adaptor;   determining whether the received packets are of the selected class;   delaying the transmission of the received packets to the second adaptor in response to determining that the packets are of the selected class; and   forwarding the received packets to the second adaptor in response to determining that the packets are not of the selected class.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate classes of packets recognized in the converged network protocol but not the first communication protocol, wherein the function comprises a pause instruction in the converged network protocol for a selected one of the classes of packets from the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations comprising:
 sending a pause instruction in the first communication protocol to the first adaptor to cause the first adaptor to pause sending all packets.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving the pause instruction in the first communication protocol from the first adaptor to instruct the second adaptor to stop sending all packets;   in response to the pause instruction, sending at least one instruction to the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to pause sending all classes of packets configured for communication with the second adaptor.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the function comprises a keep alive request from the second adaptor, and wherein the operations further comprise sending the packet including the keep alive request to the first adaptor, wherein the keep alive request is processed by second communication protocol software in a host in a first communication protocol network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate classes of packets supported in the converged network protocol, but not the first communication protocol, and bandwidth percentages for the different classes of packets, wherein the function comprises a bandwidth management function, and wherein the operations to implement the function comprise guaranteeing the bandwidth percentages to the classes of packets according to bandwidth percentages provided for the packets in the configuration parameters. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a plurality of first type adaptors implementing the first communication protocol to forward packets from the first type adaptor, directed to the third communication protocol network, to the second adaptor.   
     
     
         19 . A computer implemented method, comprising:
 communicating with a first adaptor implementing a first communication protocol and a second adaptor implementing a converged network protocol, wherein the converged network protocol facilitates communication of packets encoded with a second communication protocol with a third communication protocol network;   configuring parameters in a memory for communication between the first adaptor and the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to indicate to the second adaptor that the converged network protocol is supported, wherein the first adaptor does not support the converged network protocol;   receiving a packet at the first adaptor encoded in the second communication protocol directed to the third communication protocol network;   forwarding the packet to the second adaptor to forward to the third communication protocol network;   receiving a command at the second adaptor, directed to the first adaptor, to implement a function in the converged network protocol for communication between the first and second adaptors; and   performing operations to implement the function using the parameters in the memory to support transmission of packets between the first and the second adaptors.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first adaptor comprises a legacy Ethernet adaptor, wherein the first communication protocol comprises the Ethernet protocol, wherein the second adaptor comprises an enhanced Ethernet adaptor, the second communication protocol comprises Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), the converged network protocol includes the Data Center Bridging Exchange protocol that supports lossless transmission with a Fibre Channel network, and wherein the third communication protocol network comprises the Fibre Channel network. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the function comprises a first function, wherein the function in the converged network protocol is not supported in the first communication protocol and in the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations to implement the first function from the second adaptor comprises:
 determining a second function in the first communication protocol and parameters to use with the function to implement the function from the second adaptor; and   transmitting the second function to the first adaptor.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate traffic classes for packets recognized in the converged network protocol but not the first communication protocol, wherein the function comprises a pause for a selected one of the classes of packets from the first adaptor, further comprising:
 receiving packets from the first adaptor;   determining whether the received packets are of the selected class;   delaying the transmission of the received packets to the second adaptor in response to determining that the packets are of the selected class; and   forwarding the received packets to the second adaptor in response to determining that the packets are not of the selected class.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate classes of packets recognized in the converged network protocol but not the first communication protocol, wherein the function comprises a pause instruction in the converged network protocol for a selected one of the classes of packets from the first adaptor, and wherein performing the operations comprising:
 sending a pause instruction in the first communication protocol to the first adaptor to cause the first adaptor to pause sending all packets.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving the pause instruction in the first communication protocol from the first adaptor to instruct the second adaptor to stop sending all packets;   in response to the pause instruction, sending at least one instruction to the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to pause sending all classes of packets configured for communication with the second adaptor.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the function comprises a keep alive request from the second adaptor, and wherein the operations further comprise sending the packet including the keep alive request to the first adaptor, wherein the keep alive request is processed by second communication protocol software in a host in a first communication protocol network. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the configuration parameters indicate classes of packets supported in the converged network protocol, but not the first communication protocol, and bandwidth percentages for the different classes of packets, wherein the function comprises a bandwidth management function, and wherein the operations to implement the function comprise guaranteeing the bandwidth percentages to the classes of packets according to bandwidth percentages provided for the packets in the configuration parameters. 
     
     
         27 . A system, comprising:
 a host;   a switch; and   a bridge including:
 a first adaptor implementing a first communication protocol in communication with the host; 
 a second adaptor implementing a converged network protocol in communication with the switch, wherein the converged network protocol facilitates communication of packets encoded with a second communication protocol with a third communication protocol network, wherein the first adaptor does not support the converged network protocol; 
 a processor; 
 a memory including code executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 configuring parameters in the memory for communication between the first adaptor and the second adaptor in the converged network protocol to indicate to the second adaptor that the converged network protocol is supported; 
 receiving a packet at the first adaptor encoded in the second communication protocol directed to the third communication protocol network; 
 forwarding the packet to the second adaptor to forward to the third communication protocol network; 
 receiving a command at the second adaptor, directed to the first adaptor, to implement a function in the converged network protocol for communication between the first and second adaptors; and 
 performing operations to implement the function using the parameters in the memory to support transmission of packets between the first and the second adaptors. 
 
   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the host includes:
 a host adaptor supporting the first communication protocol to communicate with the first adaptor in the bridge; and   second communication protocol software for processing packets encoded with the second communication protocol.