Sun Microsystems, Inc.

David A Hill

Gavin James Kirton

Paula C Kiser

Susan L Copeland

William F Day

Mark J Hornacek

Michael K Hosrom

A digital data processing system comprises at least one subsystem comprising a plurality of resources, such as a storage subsystem comprising a plurality of drive modules, and a host processor. The host processor is connected to the drive modules through an interconnection which has a topology in the form of a loop. The interconnection has at least one configuration switch that is selectively configurable to a pass-through mode, in which the topology comprises the entire loop, or a bypass mode, in which the topology comprises a portion of the loop including the host processor and, possibly, at least one of the drive modules in the storage subsystem. The host processor can selectively condition the configuration switch into the pass-through mode or said bypass mode to connect more or fewer drive modules into the loop. Each of the disk modules further includes a disk module and a port by-pass switch, the port by-pass switch also being selectively configurable to a pass-through mode, in which the topology of the interconnection includes the disk module, and a bypass mode, in which the topology of the interconnection bypasses the disk module. The host processor can selectively condition the port bypass switches of the disk modules to connect more or fewer disk modules into the loop. The configuration switch and the port by-pass switches are directly controlled by a subsystem controller, which receives commands for controlling the switches from the host processor over a separate command interconnection.

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David A Hill