High speed fault tolerant mass storage network information server

Abstract

The information server system incorporates a high speed, microcomputer based server running industry standard operating system software enhanced to include functionality directed to operation of a new disk array controller, which controls the physically independent or integral disk storage device array, and communications interface. The disk array controller subsystem controls and communicates with the disk storage device array with a Fiber Channel protocol. The disk storage device array incorporates a plurality of disk storage devices with a corresponding number of bypass interface cards configured to facilitate the on-line addition, removal and replacement of disk storage devices. In addition to incorporating the above described buses and Fiber Channel capability, the disk array further incorporates a physically independent Fiber Channel compatible optical bus for high speed, communication between disk storage device array subsystem components, including the internal disk storage devices, independent from the information server. A wide array of user reconfigurable options are available as well as a scalable expansion capability.