Network storage appliance with an integrated switch
First Claim
1. A network storage appliance, comprising:
- first and second I/O controllers, each having I/O ports, affixed on a first hot-pluggable field replaceable unit (FRU);
first and second microprocessors, coupled to said first and second I/O controllers, respectively, affixed on hot-pluggable second and third FRUs, respectively, configured to initially control first and second sets of storage devices via said first and second I/O controllers, respectively, wherein if one of said microprocessors detects a failure of the other, the non-failed microprocessor controls both said first and second sets of storage devices; and
a switching device, affixed on said first FRU, comprising I/O ports coupled to said first and second I/O controller I/O ports and to I/O ports of said first and second sets of storage devices, configured to simultaneously transfer frames between said first and second I/O controller I/O ports and said first and second sets of storage device I/O ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network storage appliance including one or more integrated switching devices is disclosed. The appliance includes redundant storage controllers that transfer frames of data between storage devices and host computers. The integrated switching devices include a plurality of I/O ports and a data transfer path between each of the I/O ports for providing simultaneous data transfers between multiple pairs thereof. The switches enable the appliance to simultaneously transfer frames between its I/O ports and storage device I/O ports and/or host I/O ports, thereby providing increased data transfer bandwidth over arbitrated loop configurations. Additionally, the switches are intelligent and may be programmed to achieve improved fault isolation. The appliance may also include servers that include I/O ports coupled to the switches for simultaneously transferring data with the storage controllers and/or I/O ports of devices external to the appliance.
214 Citations
75 Claims
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1. A network storage appliance, comprising:
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first and second I/O controllers, each having I/O ports, affixed on a first hot-pluggable field replaceable unit (FRU);
first and second microprocessors, coupled to said first and second I/O controllers, respectively, affixed on hot-pluggable second and third FRUs, respectively, configured to initially control first and second sets of storage devices via said first and second I/O controllers, respectively, wherein if one of said microprocessors detects a failure of the other, the non-failed microprocessor controls both said first and second sets of storage devices; and
a switching device, affixed on said first FRU, comprising I/O ports coupled to said first and second I/O controller I/O ports and to I/O ports of said first and second sets of storage devices, configured to simultaneously transfer frames between said first and second I/O controller I/O ports and said first and second sets of storage device I/O ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A network storage appliance, comprising:
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first and second I/O controllers, each having I/O ports, affixed on a first hot-pluggable field replaceable unit (FRU);
first and second microprocessors, coupled to said first and second I/O controllers, respectively, affixed on hot-pluggable second and third FRUs, respectively, configured to process I/O requests received from at least one host computer via said first and second I/O controllers, wherein if one of said microprocessors detects a failure of the other, the non-failed microprocessor processes said I/O requests received from said at least one host computer; and
a switching device, affixed on said first FRU, comprising I/O ports coupled to said first and second I/O controller I/O ports and to I/O ports of said at least one host computer, configured to simultaneously transfer frames between said first and second I/O controller I/O ports and said at least one host computer I/O ports. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A network storage appliance, comprising:
at least two redundant active-active hot-pluggable field replaceable unit (FRU) storage controllers, each comprising;
an I/O controller, having I/O ports;
a microprocessor, coupled to said I/O controller, configured to control storage devices via said I/O controller; and
a switching device, coupled to said I/O controller, comprising I/O ports coupled to said I/O controller I/O ports and to I/O ports of said storage devices, configured to simultaneously transfer frames between said I/O controller I/O ports and said storage device I/O ports. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A network storage appliance, comprising:
at least two redundant active-active hot-pluggable field replaceable unit (FRU) storage controllers, each comprising;
an I/O controller, having I/O ports;
a microprocessor, coupled to said I/O controller, configured to process I/O requests received from at least one host computer via said I/O controller; and
a switching device, comprising I/O ports coupled to said I/O controller I/O ports and to I/O ports of said at least one host computer, configured to simultaneously transfer frames between said I/O controller I/O ports and said at least one host computer I/O ports. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A network storage appliance, comprising:
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a chassis;
first and second storage controllers, enclosed in said chassis, comprising first and second I/O ports, respectively, wherein each of said first and second storage controllers is configured to control a plurality of storage devices;
a server, enclosed in said chassis, comprising a third I/O port;
an I/O connector, affixed on the storage appliance, for coupling to a fourth I/O port, wherein said fourth I/O port is external to said chassis and not comprised in the storage appliance; and
a switching device, enclosed in said chassis, configured to simultaneously transfer frames between said first and second I/O ports and said third and fourth I/O ports. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method for transferring data in a storage area network, the method comprising:
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receiving by a switching device comprised in a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller a first frame from an I/O port of a first storage device coupled to the RAID controller;
receiving by the switching device a second frame from an I/O port of a second storage device coupled to the RAID controller;
transferring simultaneously through the switching device the first and second frames to first and second I/O controller I/O ports, respectively, comprised in the RAID controller. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75)
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Specification