Network abstraction of input/output devices
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsDonald B. Harbin, Susan Kromenaker, Mark Wunderlich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A topology of storage nodes coupled to a network to provide storage resources to clients coupled to the network is described. A common transport agent (CTA) comprises a common communication interface with each of the storage nodes. The common communication interface with each storage node may be independent of any particular input/output format to be used in storing data in or retrieving data from a storage medium associated with the storage node. The CTA may also comprise a communication interface with the network which is independent of any particular network protocol to transmit data over the network.
Claims27
A system comprising:
- a communication adapter coupled to a transmission medium to transmit and receive data according to a network protocol;
- a data bus coupled to one or more storage nodes, each storage node comprising storage resources and logic to transmit data to or receive data from a storage medium according to an input/output format;
- and
- a processing system to host a common transport agent, the common transport agent comprising a first interface comprising one or more method interfaces to communicate with each storage node independently of the input/output format of the storage node.
A method comprising:
- discovering storage resources of one or more storage nodes coupled to a data bus, each storage node comprising logic to transmit data to or receive data from a storage medium according to an input/output format;
- advertising the discovered storage resources to a network according to a network protocol;
- and
- providing access to the storage resources from the network through a first interface to each storage node, the first interface comprising one or more method interfaces which are independent of the input/output format of each storage node.
An article comprising:
- A storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon to:
- discover storage resources of one or more storage nodes coupled to a data bus, each storage node comprising logic to transmit data to or receive data from a storage medium according to an input/output format;
- advertise the discovered storage resources to a network according to a network protocol;
- and
- provide access to the storage resources from the network through a first interface to each storage node, the first interface comprising one or more method interfaces which are independent of the input/output format of each storage node.
A storage node comprising:
- an I/O controller to store data in and retrieve data from a storage medium according to an I/O format;
- and
- a processing system comprising:
- a device driver module to transmit data to and receive data from the I/O controller according to the I/O format;
- and
- a remote transport agent coupled to the device driver, the remote transport agent comprising an interface to receive commands to store data in or retrieve data from the storage medium, the commands being defined in the interface by one or more method interfaces which are independent of the I/O format.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.