Device driver apparatus for I/O device simulation

• US 6,892,254 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2001
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masakazu, Yamaguchi, Hirobumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US09/998,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710/15, 710/58, 710/62, 710/72
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/105 where the programme performs an input/output emulation function
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/001 Controlling recording characteristics of record carriers or transducing characteristics of transducers by means not being part of their structure
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/40 Protective measures on heads, e.g. against excessive temperature G11B5/31 takes precedence; protection against wear G11B5/255 ; protective structure of the head: see under structures, e.g. G11B5/3106

Abstract

A device driver apparatus, which can be configured at low cost, implements various types of tests while making a process perform the same operations as those of an actual I/O device in use.

The device driver apparatus is configured by comprising an adapter which transmits or receives signal or data between an initiator and a pseudo process simulating an I/O device connected via a bus using a predetermined protocol, and a driver which is arranged between the adapter and the pseudo process simulating the I/O device, notifies the pseudo process of one or more of command and data from the adapter, and also notifies the adapter of one or more of status and data from the pseudo process.

With this low-cost configuration, various types of tests can be conducted while making a process perform the same operations as those of an actual I/O device in use.

Claims

1. A device driver apparatus connected to an initiator via a bus, transmitting and receiving signals to and from a process simulating an I/O device, comprising:

an adapter, connected to the bus, transmitting to and receiving from the initiator at least one of a command and a set of data using a predetermined protocol; and

a driver, arranged between said adapter and a pseudo I/O process simulating the I/O device, notifying the pseudo I/O process of at least one of the command and the set of data transmitted from said adapter, notifying said adapter of at least one of status and another set of data notified from the pseudo I/O process, and performing a queuing process when receiving commands from the pseudo I/O process, said adapter notifying said driver of the command upon receipt of the command from the initiator, said driver notifying the pseudo I/O process of the command after receipt of notification, the pseudo I/O process returning an exchange status to said driver, said driver notifying said adapter of the status, and said adapter returning the status to the initiator.

2. A device driver apparatus connected to an initiator via a bus, transmitting and receiving signals to and from a process simulating an I/O device, comprising:

an adapter, connected to the bus, transmitting to and receiving from the initiator at least one of a command and a set of data using a predetermined protocol; and

a driver, arranged between said adapter and a pseudo 110 process simulating the I/O device, notifying the pseudo I/O process of at least one of the command and the set of data transmitted from said adapter, notifying said adapter of at least one of status and another set of data notified from the pseudo I/O process, and performing a queuing process when receiving commands from the pseudo I/O process,

said adapter notifying said driver of the command upon receipt of the command from the initiator,

said driver notifying the pseudo I/O process of the notified command,

the pseudo I/O process preparing a set of data, storing the set of the data at the buffer address in a buffer, and returning the buffer address to said driver,

said driver storing the buffer address in a register of said adapter, and

said adapter extracting the set of the data from the buffer address in the register, and transmitting the set of the data to the initiator.

3. A device driver apparatus connected to an initiator via a bus, transmitting and receiving signals to and from a process simulating an I/O device, comprising:

an adapter, connected to the bus, transmitting to and receiving from the initiator at least one of a command and a set of data using a predetermined protocol; and

a driver, arranged between said adapter and a pseudo I/O process simulating the I/O device, notifying the pseudo I/O process of at least one of the command and the set of data transmitted from said adapter, notifying said adapter of at least one of status and another set of data notified from the pseudo I/O process, and performing a queuing process when receiving commands from the pseudo I/O process,

said adapter notifying said driver of the command upon receipt of the command from the initiator,

said driver notifying the pseudo I/O process of the command,

the pseudo I/O process preparing a buffer, and returning a buffer address to said driver,

said driver storing the buffer address in a register of said adapter,

said adapter storing a set of data that is received from the initiator by issuing a data request using the buffer address in the register, and notifying said driver that the set of data has been stored,

said driver asynchronously notifying the pseudo I/O process that the data has been received,

the pseudo I/O process extracting the data from the buffer, and returning a response status to said driver,

said driver storing the status in a register of said adapter, and

said adapter returning the status to the initiator.

4. The device driver apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pseudo I/O process simulates a specified actual I/O device by transmitting/receiving the status or the data of the specified I/O device.

5. The device driver apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pseudo I/O process simulates an error test of a specified actual I/O device by making an error, which is exclusively associated with an encapsulation protocol consisting of a protocol that encapsulates SCSI information but not consisting of a SCSI protocol, and is specified when transmitting/receiving the status or data of the specified I/O device occurs.

6. A device driver apparatus connected to an initiator via a bus, transmitting and receiving signals to and from a process simulating an I/O device, comprising:

an adapter, connected to the bus, transmitting to and receiving from the initiator at least one of a command and a set of data using a predetermined protocol; and

a driver configured as a low-order driver for said adapter, a high-order driver for a pseudo I/O process simulating the I/O device, and a medium-order driver transmitting/receiving the signals between the low-order driver and the high-order driver, notifying the pseudo I/O process of the at least one of the command and the set of data transmitted from said adapter, notifying said adapter of at least one of status and another set of data notified from the pseudo I/O process, and performing a queuing process when receiving multiple commands from the pseudo I/O process.

7. The device driver apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined protocol is a SCSI protocol or an encapsulation protocol consisting of a protocol that encapsulates SCSI information but not consisting of the SCSI protocol.

8. A device driver apparatus connected to an initiator via a bus, transmitting and receiving signals to and from a process simulating an I/O device, comprising:

an adapter, connected to the bus, transmitting to and receiving from the initiator at least one of a command and a set of data using a predetermined protocol; and

a driver, arranged between said adapter and a pseudo I/O process simulating the I/O device, notifying the pseudo I/O process of at least one of the command and the set of data transmitted from said adapter, notifying said adapter of at least one of status and another set of data notified from the pseudo I/O process, and performing a queuing process when receiving commands from the pseudo I/O process, the pseudo I/O process notifying at least one of said adapter and said driver of an error exclusively associated with an encapsulation protocol consisting of a protocol that encapsulates SCSI information but not consisting of a SCSI protocol, and the at least one of said adapter and said driver makes the error occur.