Southwestern Bell Technology Resources, Inc.

David M Hiatt

Timothy R Klos

A storage controller is disclosed which may emulate several types of specialized host specific and/or storage device specific storage controllers. The storage controlling system can transfer information between one or more different types of target units and one or more channels of at least one host. The system is provided with a computer, which includes a first interface, a second interface, and a programmable storage controller. The first interface is configured to receive one or more channel adapters which carry one or more channel programs transmitted from the channels of the host. The channel programs may carry data, status information, and commands. The second interface allows input and output to storage facilities which comprise one or more target units. The programmable storage controller may be provided with a device coupled to the channel adapters for translating channel program commands, and determining, from the channel program, a target unit for which at least one channel program is transmitted. A set of equipment controllers is provided which interpret channel program commands and status information, and which further control data transfers to and from the storage facilities in accordance with the channel program command. A device is also provided for establishing a unit thread by choosing an equipment controller from the set of equipment controllers as a function of the type of equipment that the channel requests as a target.

Storage control subsystem implemented with an application program on a

An apparatus for storing data is disclosed, which has a storage medium support frame for supporting storage medium carrying members of similar configuration. The size of the storage medium support frame can be changed (i.e., adjusted) to accommodate an arbitrary number of storage medium carrying members. In one embodiment, the storage medium carrying member may be in the form of a rewritable optical disk or another type of optical storage platter. The storage medium support frame comprises a plurality of disk units which may be coupled to each other, each disk unit having a disk support structure for supporting at least one platter. The disk units are provided with mechanisms for detachably connecting, and thereby stacking, a variable number of disk units together to form the storage medium support frame. As the disk units are stacked, i.e., detachably connected, axles of the respective platters are interconnected with each other to form a common axle located at a common axis of the storage medium support frame. In an alternative embodiment, a multi-platter assembly having a plurality of platters and a common axle may be removably mounted to a storage medium support frame. A spring-biased bearing mechanism is provided for holding the common axle so that the center axis of the common axle coincide with the common axis of rotation of the storage medium support frame.

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Ballwin, MO, United States of America

David M Hiatt