Patent · US Expired

Data storage network with host transparent failover controlled by host bus adapter

US7111084B2 · kind B2 · utility

81Cited by
21References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 28, 2001
Grant dateSep 19, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 19, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L67/1097
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and host bus adapter for controlling failover and failback processes within a redundant data storage system. The method is carried out by a failover mechanism in a host bus adapter linked to a host server. The system includes a communication fabric providing data paths to pairs of redundant storage controllers managing access to storage devices (such as hard disk drives arranged as RAID). The method includes operating the host bus adapter to detect a failover condition and in response, to match the failover condition to a particular failover action. The failover conditions and corresponding actions are stored in a well-defined rule set accessed by the host bus adapter. The method continues with performing with the host bus adapter the matched failover action. The method is transparent to the host computer device, as the host is not required to participate in the failover processes.

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