Emc Corporation

Christopher J Mulvey

William R Tuccio

Thomas Earl Linnell

David C Bisbee

Farouk Khan

A data storage system having a plurality of disk drives. Each one has a pair of bi-directional ports. A pair of directors controls the flow of data to and from the disk drives. A first fiber channel port by-pass selector section is provided. The first fiber channel by-pass selector section includes: an input/output port coupled to a first one of the directors; and, a plurality of output/input ports connected between a first one of the ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first plurality of fiber channel links. The first fiber channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the first one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the first ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first fiber channel selectively in accordance with a control signal fed to the first fiber channel by-pass selector section. The first fiber channel includes one, or more, of the first plurality of fiber channel links. A second fiber channel port by-pass selector section is provided having an input/output port coupled to a second one of the directors and a plurality of output/ports serially connected between a second one of the pair of ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second plurality of fiber channel links. The second fiber channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the second one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the second ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second fiber channel selectively in accordance with the control signal. The second fiber channel includes one, or more, of the second plurality of fiber channel links.

Fiber channel port by-pass selector section for dual ported disk drives

A data storage system having a plurality of disk drives. Each one has a pair of ports. A pair of directors controls the flow of data to and from the disk drives. A first fiber channel port by-pass selector section is provided. The first fiber channel selector section includes: an input/output port coupled to a first one of the directors; and, a plurality of output/input ports connected between a first one of the ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first plurality of fiber channel links. The first fiber channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the first one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the first ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first fiber channel selectively in accordance with a control signal fed to the first fiber channel by-pass selector section. The first fiber channel includes one, or more, of the first plurality of fiber channel links. A second fiber channel port by-pass selector section is provided having an input/output port coupled to a second one of the directors and a plurality of output/ports serially connected between a second one of the pair of ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second plurality of fiber channel links. The second fiber channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the second one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the second ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second fiber channel selectively in accordance with the control signal. The second fiber channel includes one, or more, of the second plurality of fiber channel links.

Fibre channel by-pass

A data storage system wherein a host computer is coupled to a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The interface includes a plurality of directors and a memory interconnected by a plurality of busses for controlling data transfer between the host computer and the bank of disk drives as such data passes through the memory. A front-end portion of the directors is coupled to the host computer through front-end input/output adapters. Each one of the front-end directors includes a fiber channel hub. The hub is configured to provide a selected one of a plurality of fiber channel loops between one of the front-end directors and a selected one, or more, of a plurality of host computer sections. The fiber channel hub includes a plurality of transceivers each one being adapted to communicate with a corresponding one of the plurality of host computer sections. A plurality of multiplexer sections is coupled to a said one of the directors through a configurable fiber channel loop. Each one of such multiplexer sections is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of host computer sections through a corresponding one of the transceivers. Each one of the multiplexer sections is responsive to control signal for coupling, or decoupling, the one of the host computer sections coupled thereto to, or from, the loop selectively in accordance with the control signal.

Fibre channel data storage system having improved fro-end I/O adapted hub

A data storage system having a plurality of disk drives. Each one has a pair of ports. A pair of directors controls the flow of data to and from the disk drives. A first fibre channel port by-pass selector section is provided. The first fibre channel selector section includes: an input/output port coupled to a first one of the directors; and, a plurality of output/input ports connected between a first one of the ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first plurality of fibre channel links. The first fibre channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the first one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the first ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first fibre channel selectively in accordance with a control signal fed to the first fibre channel by-pass selector section. The first fibre channel includes one, or more, of the first plurality of fibre channel links. A second fibre channel port by-pass selector section is provided having an input/output port coupled to a second one of the directors and a plurality of output/ports serially connected between a second one of the pair of ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second plurality of fibre channel links. The second fibre channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the second one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the second ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second fibre channel selectively in accordance with the control signal. The second fibre channel includes one, or more, of the second plurality of fibre channel links.

Fibre channel data storage system having expansion/contraction

A data storage system having a plurality of disk drives. Each one has a pair of bidirectional ports. A pair of directors controls the flow of data to and from the disk drives. A first fibre channel port by-pass selector section is provided. The first fibre channel port by-pass selector section includes: an input/output port coupled to a first one of the directors; and, a plurality of output/input ports connected between a first one of the ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first plurality of fibre channel links. The first fibre channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the first one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the first ports of the plurality of disk drives through a first fibre channel selectively in accordance with a control signal fed to the first fibre channel by-pass selector section. The first fibre channel includes one, or more, of the first plurality of fibre channel links. A second fibre channel port by-pass selector section is provided having an input/output port coupled to a second one of the directors and a plurality of output/ports serially connected between a second one of the pair of ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second plurality of fibre channel links. The second fibre channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the second one of the directors serially to one, or ones, of the second ports of the plurality of disk drives through a second fibre channel selectively in accordance with the control signal. The second fibre channel includes one, or more, of the second plurality of fibre channel links.

Fibre channel port by-pass selector section for dual ported disk drives

A data storage system wherein a host computer is coupled to a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The interface has a plurality of directors and a memory interconnected by a plurality of busses for controlling data transfer between the host computer and the bank of disk drives as such data passes through the memory. A portion of the directors have input/output interfaces coupled to disk drive bank through input/output adapters. The system interface includes a system printed circuit board, such printed circuit board having the directors and the memory plugged into one side thereof and having the input/output adapters plugged into an opposite side thereof. A disk backplane is provided. The disk backplane has having plugged therein: a pair of disk drive sections, each section having a plurality of disk drives in the bank of disk drives; and a pair of port by-pass card, each one of the port by-pass cards being coupled to a corresponding one of the pair of disk drive sections. Each one of the input/output adapters includes a fibre channel hub. The hub is configured to provide a selected one of a plurality of fibre channel loops between one of the directors and a selected one, or more, of the pair disk drive sections. A first one of such loops is between the director and one of the pair of disk drive sections coupled thereto through a first one of the pair of port by-pass cards coupled thereto. A second one of such loops is between the director and the one of the pair of disk drive sections coupled thereto through a second one of the pair of port by-pass cards to A third one of such loops is between the director through the first one of the pair of port by-pass cards to the one of the pair of disk drive sections coupled thereto then through the second one of the pair of port by-pass cards to the one of the pair of disk drive sections coupled thereto.

Fibre channel data storage system having improved rear-end I/O adapted hub

A data storage system wherein a host computer is coupled to a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The interface has a memory with a high address memory section and a low address memory section. A plurality of directors control data transfer between the host computer and the bank of disk drives as such datapasses through the memory. A pair of high address busses electrically is connected to the high address memory and a pair of low address busses is electrically connected to the low address memory. Each one of the directors is electrically connected to one of the pair of high address busses and one of the pair of low address busses.

Data storage system having a host computer coupled to bank of disk drives through interface comprising plurality of directors, two pairs of buses, and memory sections

A data storage system wherein a host computer is coupled to a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The interface has a memory with a high address memory section and a low address memory section. A plurality of directors control data transfer between the host computer and the bank of disk drives as such data passes through the memory. A pair of high address busses electrically is connected to the high address memory and a pair of low address busses is electrically connected to the low address memory. Each one of the directors is electrically connected to one of the pair of high address busses and one of the pair of low address busses. A front-end portion of the directors is electrically connected to the host computer and a rear-end portion of the directors is electrically connected to the bank of disk drives. The bank of disk drives has a plurality of sets of electrically connected disk drives, each one of the sets being connected to a corresponding one of the input/output interfaces of a corresponding one of the rear-end directors through the adapter card connected to such corresponding one of the rear-end directors and, through the printed circuit board, to the adapter card in the another one of the electrical connectors and to the input/output interface of the rear-end director in such other one of the electrical connectors. Each pair of a plurality of bus arbiters is electrically connected to ends of a corresponding one of the busses. One of the arbiters is a master arbiter and the other a slave arbiter. A pair of reference voltage generator is also connected to ends of each bus.

Data storage system having a host computer coupled to bank of disk drives through interface comprising plurality of directors, busses, and reference voltage generators

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Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Christopher J Mulvey