Optical exchange method, apparatus and system for facilitating data transport between WAN, SAN and LAN and for enabling enterprise computing into networks

An integrated circuit device for use in forming a communication interface for an enterprise server including a system controller, at least one CPU, a system bus communicatively interconnecting the controller and the CPU, a system memory, a first optical interface for facilitating data transport between the device and SONET based networks, and a second optical interface for facilitating data transport between the device and ethernet/Fibre Channel based networks. The integrated circuit device is comprised of an interface including a SONET-in engine for receiving SONET input data from the first optical interface and for extracting synchronous payload envelopes (SPE) therefrom, a deframer for extracting data packets from the incoming SPE, a plurality of ethernet/Fibre Channel (E/FC) ports selectively programmable to function as either a GbE port or an FC port for communicating with the second optical interface, a generic interface unit (GIU) for communicating data signals to and from the system bus, and a packet engine (PE) responsive to routing tables and operative to sort and forward each extracted data packet IP packet or FC frame via the BIC to a particular one of the plurality of GbE/FC ports.