Multi-sort mass storage device announcing its active paths without deactivating its ports in a network architecture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A data processing system comprising:
- a plurality of main processing units;
a mass storage device;
a plurality of device controllers connected to said mass storage device to provide interfaces between said mass storage device and said plurality of main processing units; and
a data communications link external to said mass storage device interconnecting said plurality of main processing units and said plurality of device controllers in a network configuration;
wherein;
said mass storage device includes at least two simultaneously operable means for communicating with said controllers, a first one of said at least two simultaneously operable means connecting said mass storage device to a first one of said plurality of controllers, and a second one of said at least two simultaneously operable means connecting said mass storage device to a second one of said plurality of controllers, said at least two simultaneously operable means and said network in combination providing a plurality of paths which support simultaneous communications between said mass storage device and said plurality of main processing units on different ones of said paths, and at least two paths which support communication between said mass storage device and a particular main processing unit, said data processing system further comprising;
means for allowing said mass storage device to announce to a main processing unit to which it has at least two paths, the availability of said at least two paths, without disabling any of said at least two paths.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network-type data processing system is provided. The system can support multiple simultaneous exchanges of data, and includes multi-port storage devices in which all ports can be active at all times. On initialization of the system, each storage device can announce itself through all of its ports simultaneously.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A data processing system comprising:
-
a plurality of main processing units; a mass storage device; a plurality of device controllers connected to said mass storage device to provide interfaces between said mass storage device and said plurality of main processing units; and a data communications link external to said mass storage device interconnecting said plurality of main processing units and said plurality of device controllers in a network configuration;
wherein;said mass storage device includes at least two simultaneously operable means for communicating with said controllers, a first one of said at least two simultaneously operable means connecting said mass storage device to a first one of said plurality of controllers, and a second one of said at least two simultaneously operable means connecting said mass storage device to a second one of said plurality of controllers, said at least two simultaneously operable means and said network in combination providing a plurality of paths which support simultaneous communications between said mass storage device and said plurality of main processing units on different ones of said paths, and at least two paths which support communication between said mass storage device and a particular main processing unit, said data processing system further comprising; means for allowing said mass storage device to announce to a main processing unit to which it has at least two paths, the availability of said at least two paths, without disabling any of said at least two paths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A data processing system comprising:
-
a plurality of main processing units; mass storage means characterized as a mass storage unit; a plurality of device controllers connected to said mass storage unit to provide interfaces between said mass storage unit and said plurality of main processing units; and a data communication link external to said mass storage unit interconnecting said plurality of main processing units and said plurality of device controllers in a network configuration;
wherein;said mass storage unit includes at least two simultaneously operable ports by which said mass storage unit communications with said controllers, a first one of said at least two simultaneously operable ports connecting said mass storage unit to a first one of said plurality of controllers, and a second one of said at least two simultaneously operable ports connecting said mass storage unit to a second one of said plurality of controllers, said at least two simultaneously operable ports and said network in combination providing a plurality of paths which support simultaneous communications between said mass storage unit and said plurality of main processing units on different ones of said paths, and at least two paths which support communications between said mass storage unit and a particular main processing unit, said data processing system further comprising; means for allowing said mass storage unit to announce to a main processing unit to which it has at least two paths, the availability f said at least two paths, without disabling any of said at least two paths. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. For use in a data processing system comprising
a plurality of main processing units, a mass storage device, a plurality of device controllers connected to said mass storage device to provide interfaces between said mass storage device and said plurality of main processing units, and a data communications link external to said mass storage device interconnecting said plurality of main processing units and said plurality of device controllers in a network configuration, wherein said mass storage device includes at least two simultaneously operable means for communicating with said controllers, a data processing method comprising: -
connecting said mass storage device to a first one of said plurality of controllers through a first one of said at least two simultaneously operable means and to a second one of said plurality of controllers through a second one of said at least two simultaneously operable means so that said at least two simultaneously operable means and said network in combination provide a plurality of paths which support simultaneous communications between said mass storage device and said plurality of main processing units on different ones of said paths, and at least two paths which support communication between said mass storage device and a particular main processing unit; and allowing said mass storage device to announce to a main processing unit to which it has at least two paths, the availability of said at least two paths, without disabling any of said at least two paths.
-
-
16. For use in a data processing system comprising:
-
a plurality of main processing units, mass storage means characterized as a mass storage unit, a plurality of device controllers connected to said mass storage unit to provide interfaces between said mass storage unit and said plurality of main processing units, and a data communications link external to said mass storage unit interconnecting said plurality of main processing units and said plurality of device controllers in a network configuration, wherein said mass storage unit includes at least two simultaneously operable ports by which said mass storage unit communicates with said controllers, a data processing method comprising; connecting said mass storage unit to a first one of said plurality of controllers through a first one of said at least two simultaneously operable ports and to a second one of said plurality of controllers through a second one of said at least two simultaneously operable ports so that said at least two simultaneously operable ports and said network in combination provide a plurality of paths which support simultaneous communications between said mass storage unit and said plurality of main processing units on different ones of said paths, and at least two paths which support communication between said mass storage unit and a particular main processing unit; and allowing said mass storage unit to announce to a main processing unit to which it has at least two paths, the availability of said at least two paths, without disabling any of said at least two paths.
-
Specification