Multi-function server input/output subsystem and method
First Claim
1. A server computer system comprising:
- a first computer having a first processor executing a first operating system, said first processor being coupled to a first secondary storage controller and a first communications controller;
a second computer having a second processor executing a second operating system, said second processor being coupled to a second secondary storage controller and a second communications controller;
a communications channel coupling said first and second secondary storage controllers and said first and second communications controllers and providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second processors to thereby allow an operation of said second computer to mirror an operation of said first computer; and
a single common fault tolerant secondary storage redundant array of disks (RAID) subsystem coupled to said communications channel and accessible by said first and second processors, said communications channel further providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second computers and said secondary storage RAID subsystem, said secondary storage RAID subsystem thereby being available to said second computer upon occurrence of a failure in said first computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for providing fault tolerance in a networked client/server computing environment by introducing a server computer comprised of a first computer with a first secondary storage controller and a first communications controller and a second computer with a second secondary storage controller and a secondary communications controller. The invention introduces a high speed communications channel that runs between secondary storage controllers and communications controllers in each of the computers, thereby allowing data flow between the communications controllers and enabling the first and second computers to mirror each other or cooperate to form a cluster server. In addition, the communications channel serves as a pathway for secondary storage I/O dataflow, thereby enabling the first and second computers to share secondary storage resources.
64 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A server computer system comprising:
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a first computer having a first processor executing a first operating system, said first processor being coupled to a first secondary storage controller and a first communications controller; a second computer having a second processor executing a second operating system, said second processor being coupled to a second secondary storage controller and a second communications controller; a communications channel coupling said first and second secondary storage controllers and said first and second communications controllers and providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second processors to thereby allow an operation of said second computer to mirror an operation of said first computer; and a single common fault tolerant secondary storage redundant array of disks (RAID) subsystem coupled to said communications channel and accessible by said first and second processors, said communications channel further providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second computers and said secondary storage RAID subsystem, said secondary storage RAID subsystem thereby being available to said second computer upon occurrence of a failure in said first computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a server computer system, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a first computer having a first processor executing a first operating system to a first secondary storage controller and a first communications controller; coupling a second computer having a second processor executing a second operating system to a second secondary storage controller and a second communications controller; communicating data via a communications channel coupling said first and second secondary storage controllers and said first and second communications controllers, said communications channel providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second processors to thereby allow an operation of said second computer to mirror an operation of said first computer; and accessing a single common fault tolerant secondary storage redundant array of disks (RAID) subsystem coupled to said communications channel with said first and second processors, said communications channel further providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second computers and said secondary storage RAID subsystem, said secondary storage RAID subsystem thereby being available to said second computer upon occurrence of a failure in said first computer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A server computer system, comprising:
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a first computer having a first processor executing a first operating system, said first processor being coupled to a first secondary storage controller and a first communications controller; a second computer having a second processor executing a second operating system, said second processor being coupled to a second secondary storage controller and a second communications controller; a first communications channel coupling said first and second secondary storage controllers and said first and second communications controllers and providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second processors to thereby allow an operation of said second computer to mirror an operation of said first computer; a second communications channel coupling said first and second secondary storage controllers; and a single common fault tolerant secondary storage redundant array of disks (RAID) subsystem, the RAID subsystem including a plurality of secondary storage units coupled to said first and second communications channels and accessible by said first and second processors, first and second communications channels providing redundant channels for communication of data between said first and second computers and said plurality of secondary storage units, said plurality of secondary storage units thereby being available to said second computer upon occurrence of a failure in said first computer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of operating a server computer system, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a first computer having a first processor executing a first operating system to a first secondary storage controller and a first communications controller; coupling a second computer having a second processor executing a second operating system to a second secondary storage controller and a second communications controller; communicating data via a first communications channel coupling said first and second secondary storage controllers and said first and second communications controllers, said first communications channel providing a channel for communication of data between said first and second processors to thereby allow an operation of said second computer to mirror an operation of said first computer; communicating data via a second communications channel coupling said first and second secondary storage controllers; and accessing selectable ones of a plurality of secondary storage units within a single common fault tolerant redundant array of disks (RAID) storage subsystem coupled to said first and second communications channels and accessible by said first and second processors, said first and second communications channels providing redundant channels for communication of data between said first and second computers and said plurality of secondary storage units, said plurality of secondary storage units thereby being available to said second computer upon occurrence of a failure in said first computer. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A server computer system comprising:
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a first computer having a first processor executing a first operating system, the first processor being coupled to a first integrated controller; a second computer having a second processor executing a second operating system, the second processor being coupled to a second integrated controller; a communications channel coupling said first and second integrated controllers and providing a channel for communication of data between the first and second processors to thereby selectively allow the first and second computers to mirror their operation and to operate as a cluster; and a single common, fault tolerant secondary storage redundant array of disks (RAID) subsystem coupled to the communications channel and accessible by the first and second processors, the communications channel further providing a channel for communication of data between the first and second computers and the secondary storage RAID subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification