Apparatus and method for achieving improved SCSI bus control capacity
US5367647A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 19, 1993 |
| Grant date | Nov 22, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 19, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/4226
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus and a method facilitate the sharing of a SCSI address ID between a SCSI initiator and a target device. The SCSI standard does not prohibit ID sharing under a set of operating conditions defined by this invention. The shared ID is preferably used for controlling an environmental monitor device that controls the power of disk drives on the SCSI bus, detects their status and configuration, and monitors environmental conditions within a mass storage system cabinet. Power to individual disk drives is switched under control of the computer operating system so that start-up surge current to the disk drives is limited. This allows defective drives to be powered down and replaced without powering down the remaining good drives. SCSI termination power distribution is improved so that connector reversals can be detected and resulting current surges limited. Termination power control and status is under program control. The reliability, utility, and cost-effectiveness of large SCSI bus-based mass storage systems is improved through the use of this invention.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.