Providing host information to devices in multi SCSI transport protocols

• US 7,447,788 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Marks, Kevin, Tawil, Ahmad H., Ahmed, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/765,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 710/11, 710/105, 710/315, 719/326
• US Class Current: 709/230
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Systems, methods, and data structures are provided for identifying host information at a physical layer of an information handling system. The method includes issuing a command from a host computer and sending a host information command to a device. The command may be issued in a first transport protocol. The host information command may include a host identifier identifying the host that issued the command and a tag identifying a reissued command, the reissued command including the command reissued in a second transport protocol.

Claims

1. A method for identifying host information at a physical layer of an information handling system, the information handling system including a host computer, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a command from a host computer, the command being issued in a first transport protocol; and

sending a host information command to a device, the host information command including a host identifier identifying the host that issued the command and a tag identifying a reissued command, the reissued command including the command reissued in a second transport protocol, wherein the device does not support command queuing, further comprising the steps of;

receiving a response from the device, the response being sent following a receipt of the host information command by the device; and

reissuing the command to the device, the command being reissued in the second transport protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

reissuing the command to the device, the command being reissued in the second transport protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an appliance performs the step of sending a host information command to a device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an appliance performs the step of reissuing the command to the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an appliance receives the command issued from the host computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance receives a response from the device and reissues the command to the device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing device access to the host computer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

executing the reissued command.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of executing the reissued command further comprising the steps of:

creating a priority database, the priority database associating a priority parameter and a command from a host, the priority parameter being a metric measuring a relative execution property of the command in the association; and

executing the reissued command, based in part on the priority database.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the command includes a command for accessing encrypted data of the storage device, further comprising the step of:

decrypting the data based on the host information command.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the command includes a command for writing data to the storage device, further comprising the step of:

encrypting the data based on the host information command.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport of protocol includes a SCSI protocol.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport protocol is iSCSI, FCP, SRP, SSP, U320, or SBP.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transport protocol includes a SCSI protocol.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transport protocol is iSCSI, FCP, SRP, SSP, U320, or SCP.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein first transport protocol is equivalent to the second transport protocol.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the host identifier includes at least one of a port World Wide name, a node World Wide name, a source identifier, an initiator identifier, an appliance port relative address, an iSCSI name, an Internet Protocol version 4 address (IPv4), an Internet Protocol version 6 address (IPv6), an infiniband (IB) Global Identifier, a serial attached SCSI (SAS) initiator address, an IEEE identifier, or a node identifier.

18. An information handling system for identifying host information at a physical layer of an information handling system, the information handling system comprising:

a host computer, the host computer issuing a command in a first transport protocol;

a device; and

an appliance, the appliance sending a host information command to the device, the host information command including a host identifier identifying the host that issued the command and a tag identifying a reissued command, the reissued command including the command reissued in a second transport protocol, wherein the device does not support command queuing, and wherein the appliance receives a response from the device, the response being sent following a receipt of the host information command by the device, and reissues the command to the device, the command being reissued in the second transport protocol.

19. The information handling system of claim 18, wherein the appliance reissues the command to the device, the command being reissued in a second transport protocol.

20. The information handling system of claim 18, wherein an appliance receives the command issued from the host computer.

21. The information handling system of claim 18, wherein the host computer is provided access to the device.

22. The information handling system of claim 18, wherein the device executes the reissued command.

23. The information handling system of claim 22, the information handling system further comprising a priority database, the priority database associating a priority parameter and a command from a host, the priority parameter being a metric measuring a relative execution property of the command in the association, and wherein the reissued command is executed, based in part on the priority database.

24. The information handling system of claim 22, wherein the command includes a command for accessing encrypted data of the storage device, and wherein the data is decrypted based on the host information command.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the command includes a command for writing data to the storage device, and wherein the data is encrypted based on the host information command.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the first transport protocol is iSCSI, FCP, SRP, SSP, U320, SBP, or SCSI.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the second transport protocol is iSCSI, FCP, SRP, SSP, U320, SCP, or SCSI.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the host identifier includes at least one of a port World Wide name, a node World Wide name, a source identifier, an initiator identifier, an appliance port relative address, an iSCSI name, an Internet Protocol version 4 address (IPv4), an Internet Protocol version 6 address (IPv6), an infiniband (IB) Global Identifier, a serial attached SCSI (SAS) initiator address, an IEEE identifier, or a node identifier.