Environment monitoring system for standard interface bus computer systems
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring the environment of at least one remote device attached to a host processor by means of an interface bus having a limited number of address ports, including:
- (a) a host processor;
(b) a first interface bus, coupled to the host processor, and having a limited number of address ports;
(c) at least one remote device;
(d) a second interface bus, coupled to at least one remote device;
(e) bus repeater means, coupled to the first and second interface buses, for communicating information between the first and second interface buses in a first mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in a second mode of operation;
(f) environment monitor means, for monitoring environment conditions relevant to at least one remote device;
(g) bus interface means, electrically coupled to the first interface bus and to the environment monitor means, for communicating environment information with the host processor over the first interface bus in the second mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in the first mode of operation;
(h) control means, electrically coupled to the environment monitor means, the bus repeater means, and the bus interface means, for switching the system between the first mode and the second mode of operation;
wherein the environment monitor means does not use any of the limited number of address ports of the first interface bus when the system is in the first mode of operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for monitoring the environment of remote components attached to a host processor by means of a standard interface bus having a limited number of address ports. The invention includes a host adapter incorporating a standard bus repeater component and an environment monitoring component. The environment monitoring component has a standard bus interface and is selectably coupled to the standard interface bus, and hence to a host processor. The host interface transceiver is coupled by means of a standard bus to the host processor, and is also selectably coupled to a drive interface transceiver by means of the standard bus. The drive interface transceiver is coupled by the standard bus to one or more storage devices. The host adapter is selectably switchable between two modes, such that either the drive interface transceiver is coupled through the host interface transceiver to the host processor, or the environment monitoring component is coupled to the host processor. The inventive system reduces the overhead of an environment monitoring system in terms of address ports on a standard bus having a limited number of address ports. In addition, the bus repeater component of the inventive system permits doubling the cable length limit imposed on certain standard buses, thereby permitting more remote location of one or more storage devices from a host processor.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring the environment of at least one remote device attached to a host processor by means of an interface bus having a limited number of address ports, including:
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(a) a host processor; (b) a first interface bus, coupled to the host processor, and having a limited number of address ports; (c) at least one remote device; (d) a second interface bus, coupled to at least one remote device; (e) bus repeater means, coupled to the first and second interface buses, for communicating information between the first and second interface buses in a first mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in a second mode of operation; (f) environment monitor means, for monitoring environment conditions relevant to at least one remote device; (g) bus interface means, electrically coupled to the first interface bus and to the environment monitor means, for communicating environment information with the host processor over the first interface bus in the second mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in the first mode of operation; (h) control means, electrically coupled to the environment monitor means, the bus repeater means, and the bus interface means, for switching the system between the first mode and the second mode of operation; wherein the environment monitor means does not use any of the limited number of address ports of the first interface bus when the system is in the first mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for monitoring the environment of at least one remote device attached to a host processor by means of an interface bus having a limited number of address ports, including:
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(a) bus repeater means, having at least a first port and a second port, the first port being coupled to the host processor, and the second port being coupled to at least one remote device for communicating information between the first and second ports in a first mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in a second mode of operation; (b) environment monitor means, for monitoring environment conditions of at least one remote device; (c) bus interface means, coupled to the first port and to the environment monitor means, for communicating environment information with the host processor through the first port in the second mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in the first mode of operation; (d) control means, coupled to the environment monitor means, the bus repeater means, and the bus interface means, for switching the apparatus between the first mode and the second mode of operation; wherein the environment monitor means does not use any of the limited number of address ports of the interface bus when the apparatus is in the first mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for monitoring the environment of at least one remote device attached to a host processor by means of an interface bus having a limited number of address ports, including the steps of:
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(a) communicating information between the host processor and at least one remote device in a first mode of operation, and blocking such communication in a second mode of operation; (b) monitoring environment conditions of at least one remote device; (c) communicating environment information with the host processor in the second mode of operation, and blocking such communication in the first mode of operation; wherein none of the limited number of address ports of the interface bus are used for monitoring environment conditions when in the first mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for monitoring the environment of at least one remote device attached to a host processor by means of an interface bus having a limited number of address ports, including:
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(a) a host processor; (b) a first interface bus, coupled to the host processor, and having a limited number of address ports; (c) at least one remote device; (d) a second interface bus, coupled to at least one remote device; (e) bus repeater circuit, coupled to the first and second interface buses, for communicating information between the first and second interface buses in a first mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in a second mode of operation; (f) environment monitor circuit, for monitoring environment conditions of at least one remote device; (g) bus interface circuit, coupled to the first interface bus and to the environment monitor circuit, for communicating environment information with the host processor over the first interface bus in the second mode of operation, and for blocking such communication in the first mode of operation; (h) controller, coupled to the environment monitor circuit, the bus repeater circuit, and the bus interface circuit, for switching the system between the first mode and the second mode of operation; wherein the environment monitor circuit does not use any of the limited number of address ports of the first interface bus when the system is in the first mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification