APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING CONTROL MESSAGES BETWEEN A FIRST DEVICE AND A SECOND DEVICE

• US 20090292798A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Grunow, Gerard Grunow, Kirby Grant Dahman, Ralph Thomas Beeston, Robert Beverley Basham, Ronald David Martens
• Original Assignee: Christopher Grunow, Gerard Grunow, Kirby Grant Dahman, Ralph Thomas Beeston, Robert Beverley Basham, Ronald David Martens
• Inventors: Grunow, Gerard, Basham, Robert Beverley, Beeston, Ralph Thomas, Dahman, Kirby Grant, Martens, Ronald David, Grunow, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An apparatus and system are provided for communicating control messages between a first device and a second device. The apparatus and system include a communication module that directs control messages between a first device and a second device through an intermediate device. The intermediate device is coupled to the first device by a control path and to the second device by a data path. The apparatus and system also include a translation module and a transmission module that cooperate to translate control messages received over the control path at the intermediate device to transport data messages and transport data messages received over the data path at the second device to control messages. Transport data messages are sent over the data path to the second device and control messages from the second device are sent over the control path to the first device.

Claims

1. A system having a communication module, a first translation module, a second translation module, a first transmission module, and a second transmission module stored in memories for communicating control messages between a media library manager and a storage device, the system comprising:

the communication module configured to direct first control messages between the media library manager and the storage device through a host, the host coupled to the media library manager by a control path and to the storage device by a data path;

the first translation module configured to distinguish the first control messages received over the control path at the host by detecting an identifier in the header of each of the control messages, translate the first control messages received over the control path into first transport data messages, wherein each of the first transport data messages comprises a Send Simulated Library Message (SSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the first control messages in an unaltered form;

the second translation module configured to translate second control messages received from the storage device inot second transport data messages, wherein each of the second transport data messages comprises a Received Simulated Library Message (RSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the second control messages in an unaltered form;

the second translation module further configured to translate the first transport data messages received over the data path at the storage device into the first control messages;

the first translation module further configured to translate the second transport data messages received over the data path at the host into the second control messages;

the first transmission module configured to send the first transport data messages over the data path to the storage device and control messages from the storage device over the control path to the media library manager; and

the second transmission module configured to send the second transport data messages over the data path to the host.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the media library manager polling the storage device for a response control message subsequent to sending the first control message to the storage device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the host periodically polling a plurality of storage device coupled to the data path for the second control messages for the media library manager.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage device notifying the host of the second control message for the media library manager and the host transferring the second control message from the storage device to the media library manager in response to a message from the media library manager.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the media library manager and storage device are configured to exchange control messages with the host.

6. A system for communicating control messages between a media library manager and a plurality of storage devices, comprising:

a media library manager configured to direct first control messages for a plurality of storage devices over a host control path;

a host coupled to the host control path and configured to distinguish the first control messages received over the host control path at the host by detecting an identifier in a header of each of the first control messages, transmit the first control messages as first transport data messages on a data path connecting the host to the plurality of storage devices, wherein each of the first transport data messages comprises a Send Simulated Library Message (SSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the first control messages in an unaltered form, and translate second transport data messages received over the data path into second control messages and transmits the second control messages on the host control path connecting the host to the media library manager; and

wherein the plurality of storage devices are configured to translate the first transport data messages received over the data path into the first control messages and the second control messages for the media library manager into the second transport data messages comprising a Receive Simulated Library Message (RSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the second control messages in an unaltered form for transmission over the data path to the host.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the media library manager is configured to poll a storage device for a response control message subsequent to sending the first control message to the storage device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the host periodically polls the storage devices coupled to the data path for the second control messages for the media library manager.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein a storage device notifies the host of the second control message for the media library manager and the host transfers the second control message from the storage device to the media library manager in response to a message from the media library manager.

10. A system for communicating control messages between a media library manager and a plurality of storage devices over a data path, comprising:

a media library comprising the media library manager configured to automatically mount and unload media cartridges; and

a host configured to communicate over a host control path with the media library manager to access data on a specific media cartridge and to communicate with one or more storage devices over a data path to exchange data, the host further configured to relay first and second control messages between the media library manager and the plurality of storage devices by distinguishing the first control messages by detecting an identifier in a header of the first control messages, translating between the first control messages and first transport data messages, wherein each of the first transport data messages is a storage device bound transport data message and comprises a Send Simulated Library Message (SSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the first control messages in an unaltered form, translating between second transport data messages and second control messages, wherein each of the second transport data messages is a library media manager bound transport data message and comprises a Receive Simulated Library Message (RSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the second control messages in an unaltered form, and wherein the first and second transport data messages travel over the data path and the first and second control messages travel over the host control path.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the media library manager polls the storage devices for a response control message subsequent to sending the first control message to the storage device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the host periodically polls the storage devices coupled to the data path for the second control messages for the media library manager.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein a storage device notifies the host of the second control message for the media library manager and the host transfers the second control message from the storage device to the media library manager in response to a message from the media library manager.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the media library manager is configured to exchange the first control messages for storage devices over the host control path instead of a direct communication link to the storage devices.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the host is configured to function as a storage device controller integrated within the media library and coupled to a plurality of storage devices that have no direct communication link to the media library manager.

16. An apparatus for communicating control messages between a media library manager and a storage device, comprising:

memories having stored thereon;

means for directing the control messages between the media library manager and the storage device through a host, the host coupled to the media library manager by a control path and the storage device by a data path;

means for translating, at the host, first control messages received over the control path into first transport data messages, wherein each of the first transport data messages comprises a Send Simulated Library Message (SSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the first control messages in an unaltered form;

means for translating, at the host, second transport data messages received over the data path into second control messages, wherein each of the second transport data messages comprises a Receive Simulated Library Message (RSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the second control messages in an unaltered form;

means for sending the first transport data messages over the data path to the storage device;

means for sending the second control messages from the storage device over the control path to the media library manager; and

means for translating, at the storage device, the first transport data messages received by the storage device into the first control messages.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for polling a storage device for a response control message subsequent to sending the first control message to the storage device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for polling storage devices coupled to the data path for the second control messages for the media library manager.

19. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a processor and embodying one or more instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for communicating control messages between a media library manager and a storage device, the method comprising:

directing the control messages between the media library manager and the storage device through a host, the host coupled to the media library manager by a control path and the storage device by a data path;

distinguishing, at the host, first control messages received over the control path by detecting an identifier in a header of each of the first control messages;

translating, at the host, the first control messages into first transport data messages, wherein each transport data message comprises a Send Simulated Library Message (SSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the first control messages in an unaltered form;

sending the first transport data messages over the data path from the host to the storage device;

translating the first transport data messages received by the storage device into the first control messages;

translating, at the storage device, second control messages into second transport data messages, wherein each second transport data message comprises a Receive Simulated Library Message (RSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the second control messages in an unaltered form;

sending the second transport data messages over the data path from the storage device to the host;

translating, at the host, the second transport data messages received over the data path into the second control messages; and

sending the second control messages over the control path from the host to the media library manager.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises polling a storage device for a response control message subsequent to sending the first control message to the storage device.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises the host polling storage devices coupled to the data path for the second control messages for the media library manager.