×

Data storage system with asynchronous host operating system communication link

DC
  • US 5,257,367 A
  • Filed: 07/17/1990
  • Issued: 10/26/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. In a computer system including a host computer (10) connected to access a plurality of data storage units (16,36) and including an operating system (12) having tables of file locations (25) of data stored on said data storage units, the improvement comprising:

  • a) data storage unit access control means (28) connected between the host computer (10) and the plurality of data storage units (16,36), for receiving read and write requests from the host computer, said read and write requests including data file manipulation commands and associated data file storage locations, for reading and writing data from and to the plurality of data storage units, and for transferring data to and from the host computer;

    b) host computer link means (18,24,20), connected between said data storage access control means (28) and said host computer (10), for establishing a first read and write request data path between said host computer and said data storage access control means, for providing said data storage access control means (28) with said read and write requests from said host computer (10), and for transferring data to and from said host computer (10);

    c) host computer operating system communications link means (34,32), connected between said data storage unit access control means (28) and a console privilege interface (26) to the host computer operating system (12), for establishing a second read and write request data path between said host computer and said data storage access control means, for obtaining and providing said data storage unit access control means (28) with data file manipulation commands from said operating system (12) and associated data file storage locations from said operating system tables of file locations (25) of data stored on said data storage units (16,36), said data file manipulation commands for directing said data storage units to manipulate predetermined data stored in said data file storage locations associated with said data file manipulation commands; and

    ,d) computational logic means (40) contained in said data storage unit access control means (28) and responsive to at least said data file manipulation commands and associated data file storage locations received over said host computer operating system communications link means (34,32), for providing data storage unit command signals directing said data storage units to manipulate said predetermined data stored in said data file storage locations associated with said data file manipulation commands asynchronously with and independent of said read and write requests from said host computer over said first read and write request data path established by said host computer link means (18,24,20), whereby the host operating system provides transparency about data file manipulation commands to user programs operating within the host computer and reading and writing data to and from the plurality of data storage units over said host computer link means (34,32).

View all claims
  • 4 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×