Apparatus, system, and method for isolating a storage application from a network interface driver

• US 7,404,192 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haltore, Kiron, Lindley, John Earle, Scales, William James, Ju, Jialin, Cheng, Tu-An
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seye; Abdou K
• Application Number:
  US10/910,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20060041894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 719/313, 719/321
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for isolating a storage application from a network interface driver. The apparatus includes a definition module, an application interface, a translation module, and a data buffer. The definition module defines a set of storage application functions. The translation module translates each storage application function to one or more network interface driver functions. The data buffer transfers data blocks between the storage application and the network interface driver.

Claims

1. A method for providing an independent interface to update a function of a storage application independent from the storage application, and to update a function of a network interface driver independent from the network interface driver, the method comprising:

isolating the storage application from the network interface driver;

defining the set of storage application functions and a set of network interface driver functions;

utilizing the storage application functions to exchange messages between the storage application and an isolation layer;

utilizing the network interface driver functions to exchange messages between the network interface driver and the isolation layer;

translating each of the storage application functions to one or more network interface driver functions;

transferring data blocks between the storage application and the network interface driver through a data buffer;

translating each of the network interface driver functions to one or more storage application functions;

wherein the storage application exchanges messages with a plurality of network interface drivers through the isolation layer; and

wherein the isolation layer is configured to allow continued functionality between the storage application and a plurality of existing network interface drivers after an addition of another network interface driver and before an update to the storage application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network interface driver comprises a Storage Area Network (SAN) interface driver.