Patent · US Expired

Dynamically reconfigurable data storage system with storage system controllers selectively operable as channel adapters on storage device adapters

US5269011A · kind A · utility

150Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 24, 1990
Grant dateDec 7, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 24, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F15/17
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A dynamically reconfigurable data storage system includes a plurality of storage system controllers, each of which is selectively operable at any given time as one of a channel adapter and a storage device adapter as established by commands received by each of the controllers. At least one semiconductor memory is coupled to the storage system controllers. Additionally, a data storage system director issues commands to each of the storage system controllers for establishing a first quantity of the system controllers as channel adapters, for transmitting and receiving at least data and commands to and from one or more host computers over a plurality of data communication channels. The data storage system director also establishes a second quantity of the storage system controllers as storage device adapters, for cotrolling data transfer to and from a plurality of data storage devices.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.