Initiator connection tag for simple table lookup
AssigneeBrea Technologies, Inc.
InventorWilliam C. Galloway
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
SAS devices provide an OPEN frame when requesting a connection or path to a device. An initiator connection tag value, preferably a 16-bit value, is included in this OPEN frame by the initiator. The initiator connection tag value is included by the target device when the target device reconnects to the initiator. The initiator can use this smaller value in a table lookup to rapidly and easily identify the target device, without requiring decoding of the 64-bit WWN and without waiting to receive a frame containing a tag from the target and decoding that tag.
Claims18
An initiator device for interacting with a target device over a network, the initiator device providing a frame requesting a connection to a target device and receiving a frame requesting a connection from the target device, each device having a long address, the initiator device comprising:
- logic for providing an initiator connection tag which is appreciably shorter than a device address to the frame requesting a connection;
- logic for providing a destination device address of the target device to the frame requesting a connection;
- and
- logic for providing a source device address of the initiator device to the frame requesting a connection.
A target device for interacting with an initiator device over a network, the initiator device providing a frame requesting a connection to the target device, the initiator frame including a shorter initiator connection tag and long destination and source device addresses and the target device providing a frame requesting a connection to the initiator device, the target frame including a shorter initiator connection tag and long destination and source device addresses, the target device comprising:
- a table containing commands and context information relating to the initiator device;
- logic for retrieving the initiator connection tag from an initiator frame and storing it in said table;
- and
- logic for retrieving the initiator connection tag from said table and providing it for inclusion in the target frame.
A frame signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising:
- a field encoding a shorter initiator connection tag;
- longer destination and source device addresses;
- and
- an end field encoding CRC information.
A storage system comprising:
- an initiator device, the initiator device providing a frame requesting a connection to a target device and receiving a frame requesting a connection from the target device, each device having a long address, said initiator device including:
- logic for providing an initiator connection tag which is appreciably shorter than a device address to the frame requesting a connection;
- logic for providing a destination device address of the target device to the frame requesting a connection;
- and
- logic for providing a source device address of the initiator device to the frame requesting a connection, and
- a target device coupled to said initiator device, the target device providing a frame requesting a connection to the initiator device, the target frame including a shorter initiator connection tag and long destination and source device addresses, said target device including:
- a table containing command and context information relating to said initiator device;
- logic for retrieving the initiator connection tag from an initiator frame and storing it in said table;
- and
- logic for retrieving the initiator connection tag from said table and providing it for inclusion in the target frame.
A computer system comprising:
- a processor;
- main memory;
- a bridge circuit connected to said processor and said main memory;
- and
- an initiator device coupled to said bridge circuit for interacting with a target device over a network, the initiator device providing a frame requesting a connection to a target device and receiving a frame requesting a connection from the target device, each device having a long address, said initiator device including:
- logic for providing an initiator connection tag which is appreciably shorter than a device address to the frame requesting a connection;
- logic for providing a destination device address of the target device to the frame requesting a connection;
- and
- logic for providing a source device address of the initiator device to the frame requesting a connection.
A system comprising:
- a computer system including:
- a processor;
- main memory;
- a bridge circuit connected to said processor and said main memory;
- and
- an initiator device coupled to said bridge circuit, said initiator device providing a frame requesting a connection to a target device and receiving a frame requesting a connection from the target device, each device having a long address, said initiator device including:
- logic for providing an initiator connection tag which is appreciably shorter than a device address to the frame requesting a connection;
- logic for providing a destination device address of the target device to the frame requesting a connection;
- and
- logic for providing a source device address of the initiator device to the frame requesting a connection, and
- a target device coupled to said initiator device, the target device providing a frame requesting a connection to the initiator device, the target frame including a shorter initiator connection tag and long destination and source device addresses, said target device including:
- a table containing command and context information relating to said initiator device;
- logic for retrieving the initiator connection tag from an initiator frame and storing it in said table;
- and
- logic for retrieving the initiator connection tag from said table and providing it for inclusion in the target frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.