Inter connected loop channel for reducing electrical signal jitter
First Claim
1. An interconnected loop channel for reducing electrical signal jitter comprisinga plurality of channel devices,at least one channel management controller, anda channel loop for interconnecting each said controller to each of said plurality of channel devices, said loop comprisinga plurality of bypass switches,each switch in a first group of said bypass switches being connected to either connect an associated channel device to said loop or to cause said loop to bypass said associated channel device, andeach switch of a second group of said bypass switches being connected, in a first operating state, to connect a group of said channel devices and their respective associated bypass switches for electrical signal communications with the channel management controller, and in a second operating state for electrically isolating said group of channel devices and their respective associated bypass switches from communications with said channel management controller which maintaining other channel devices in a loop channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fiber channel, interconnecting a plurality of disk drive loops and associated high speed bypass switches, has a selected group of high speed bypass switches to modularize the fiber channel and to reduce electrical signal jitter on the channel. More particularly, the fiber channel loop has a first group of bypass switches being connected to either connect an associated disk drive to the loop or to electrically isolate the loop from the associated disk drive, and a second group of the bypass switches is then connected, in a first operating state, to connect a group of disk drives and their respective associated bypass switches for electrical signal communications with disk drive controller, and in a second operating state, for electrically isolating the group of disk drives and their respective associated bypass switches from communications with the controller. The disk drives and their associated bypass switches can be modularly added to the fiber channel configuration by employing the second group of bypass switches as high speed controllable gateways.
139 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An interconnected loop channel for reducing electrical signal jitter comprising
a plurality of channel devices, at least one channel management controller, and a channel loop for interconnecting each said controller to each of said plurality of channel devices, said loop comprising a plurality of bypass switches, each switch in a first group of said bypass switches being connected to either connect an associated channel device to said loop or to cause said loop to bypass said associated channel device, and each switch of a second group of said bypass switches being connected, in a first operating state, to connect a group of said channel devices and their respective associated bypass switches for electrical signal communications with the channel management controller, and in a second operating state for electrically isolating said group of channel devices and their respective associated bypass switches from communications with said channel management controller which maintaining other channel devices in a loop channel.
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4. An interconnected fibre channel loop for reducing electrical signal jitter comprising
a plurality of disk drives, at least one disk drive controller, and a fibre channel loop for interconnecting each said controller to each of said plurality of disk drives, said loop comprising a plurality of bypass switches, each switch in a first group of said bypass switches being connected to either connect an associated disk drive to said loop or to cause said loop to bypass said associated disk drive, and each switch of a second group of said bypass switches being connected, in a first operating state, to connect a group of disk drives and their respective associated bypass switches for electrical signal communications with the disk controller, and in a second operating state for electrically isolating said group of disk drives and their respective associated bypass switches from communications with said controller which maintaining other disk drives in said fibre channel loop.
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11. An interconnected fibre channel loop for reducing electrical signal jitter comprising
a plurality of disk drives, at least one disk drive controller, and a fibre channel loop for interconnecting each said controller to each of said plurality of disk drives, said loop comprising a plurality of bypass loop resiliency circuits, each circuit in a first group of said bypass circuits being connected to either connect an associated disk drive in a series connection to said loop or to cause said loop to bypass said associated disk drive, and each circuit of a second group of said bypass circuits being connected, in a first operating state, to connect a group of disk drives and their respective associated bypass circuits for electrical signal communications with the disk controller, and in a second operating state, for electrically isolating said group of disk drives, and their respective associated bypass switches from communications with said controller while maintaining other disk drives in said fibre channel loop.
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12. An interconnected channel loop communications method for reducing signal jitter comprising the steps of
interconnecting a channel management controller to each of a plurality of channel devices in said channel loop through associated bypass switches, connecting, in a first mode, an associated channel device to said loop and bypassing, in a second mode, said associated channel device, connecting, in a first operating state, a group of channel devices and their respective associated bypass switches for electrical signal communications with the channel management controller, and electrically isolating, in a second operating state, said group of channel devices and their respective associated bypass switches from communications with said channel management controller while maintaining other channel devices in said channel loop.
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13. An interconnected fibre channel communications method for reducing signal jitter comprising the steps of
interconnecting a disk drive controller to each of a plurality of disk drive slots in said fibre channel loop through associated bypass switches, connecting, in a first mode, an associated disk drive slot to said loop and bypassing, in a second mode, said associated disk drive slot, connecting, in a first operating state, a group of disk drive slots and their respective associated bypass switches for electrical signal communications with the disk controller, and electrically isolating, in a second operating state, said group of disk drive slots and their respective associated bypass switches from communications with said controller while maintaining other disk drive slots in said fibre channel loop.
Specification