Unified management system and method for multi-cabinet data storage complexes

A mass storage system for providing unified system management, comprising:

• a first reporting group comprising an enclosure having an enclosure processor for generating and transmitting an environmental message for the first reporting group enclosure;
• a second reporting group comprising an enclosure having an enclosure processor for generating and transmitting an environmental message for the second reporting group enclosure;
• and
• a bus communicatively linked to the first reporting group enclosure and to the second reporting group enclosure for carrying the environmental messages, wherein the environmental messages includes information for identifying whether the environmental message was sent from an enclosure in the first or second reporting group and information for identifying a physical location of the sending enclosure.

A data storage system, comprising:

• a plurality of cabinets each having a plurality of shelves for receiving and linking computing devices and a cabinet bus linked to the shelves for communicatively linking computing devices inserted in the shelves;
• a first set of enclosure devices assigned to a first reporting group positioned on the shelves in the cabinets and linked to at least one of the cabinet busses;
• and
• a second set of enclosure devices assigned to a second reporting group positioned on the shelves in the cabinets and linked to at least one of the cabinet busses;
• wherein each of the enclosure devices in the first and second reporting group includes an enclosure processor adapted for transmitting an enclosure environmental message over the linked cabinet bus.