Disk system adapted to be directly attached
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of accessing a network coupled device through a network carrying general-purpose network traffic using a certain network protocol from a host having an internal host system bus and running an operating system, the method comprising:
- operating a virtual host bus adapter at a device driver level for controlling the device through the network via a network interface, the virtual host bus adapter including a device driver enumerating devices that are available over the network, not directly attached to the host internal system bus, so that the host recognizes the device as a host local device, the virtual host bus adapter controlling the device in a way indistinguishable from the way it is controlled as a physical host bus adapter device controlling the same type of device so that the host recognizes the device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host;
encapsulating device level commands and optional data for controlling the device into outgoing data link frames for communication over the network;
communicating the outgoing data link frames on the network;
receiving the outgoing data link frames and extracting the device level commands and optional data;
communicating the extracted device level commands and optional data to the device and operating the device in accordance with the extracted device level commands;
generating an incoming command and optional data and encapsulating it into an incoming data link frame for communicating to the host over the network;
sending the incoming data link frame to the host; and
extracting the device level command and optional data from the host received data link frame and processing the device level command in accordance with predetermined rules.
5 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network-attached disk (NAD) system is disclosed that includes an NAD device for receiving a disk access command from a host through a network, and a device driver at the host for controlling the NAD device through the network, where the device driver creates a virtual host bus adapter so that the host recognizes the NAD device as if it is a local device to the host. The host may run the UNIX or Windows family of operating systems. The NAD device includes a disk for storing data, a disk controller for controlling the disk, and a network adapter for receiving a disk access command from the host through a network port.
96 Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A method of accessing a network coupled device through a network carrying general-purpose network traffic using a certain network protocol from a host having an internal host system bus and running an operating system, the method comprising:
-
operating a virtual host bus adapter at a device driver level for controlling the device through the network via a network interface, the virtual host bus adapter including a device driver enumerating devices that are available over the network, not directly attached to the host internal system bus, so that the host recognizes the device as a host local device, the virtual host bus adapter controlling the device in a way indistinguishable from the way it is controlled as a physical host bus adapter device controlling the same type of device so that the host recognizes the device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host; encapsulating device level commands and optional data for controlling the device into outgoing data link frames for communication over the network; communicating the outgoing data link frames on the network; receiving the outgoing data link frames and extracting the device level commands and optional data; communicating the extracted device level commands and optional data to the device and operating the device in accordance with the extracted device level commands; generating an incoming command and optional data and encapsulating it into an incoming data link frame for communicating to the host over the network; sending the incoming data link frame to the host; and extracting the device level command and optional data from the host received data link frame and processing the device level command in accordance with predetermined rules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
Specification