System for providing an alternative communication path in a SAS cluster
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorsParag Maharana, Basavaraj Hallyal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a system and method for supporting an alternative peer-to-peer communication over a network in a SAS cluster when a node cannot communicate with another node through a normal I/O bus (Serial SCSI bus). At startup, driver may establish the alternative path for communication but may not use it as long as there is an I/O Path available. In the present invention, two types of P2P calls, such as event notification calls and cluster operation calls may be supported.
Claims28
A method for providing a peer to peer communication for a SAS cluster wherein
- the SAS cluster includes a first node, a second node and at least one SAS enclosure serially connected to the first and second nodes, comprising:
- establishing an alternative path for communication between the first node and the second node;
- determining whether a serial input and output path is available;
- supporting a plurality of peer to peer calls though the alternative path when the serial input and output path is not available.
A method for providing a peer to peer communication for a SAS cluster wherein the SAS cluster includes a first node, a second node and at least one SAS enclosure serially connected to the first and second nodes, comprising:
- setting up an alternative path for communication, the alternative path being established between a first application of the first node and a second application of the second node via a network;
- initializing the first node and the second node,
- wherein a plurality of asynchronous events are registered;
- detecting whether at least one SAS enclosure fails;
- performing an event notification through the alternative path when an asynchronous event occurs in the first node;
- and
- performing a cluster support operation through the alternative path upon detection of the at least one SAS enclosure failure.
A system for providing a peer to peer communication for a SAS cluster wherein the SAS cluster includes a first node, a second node and at least one SAS enclosure serially connected to the first and second nodes, comprising:
- a first firmware detecting an asynchronous event;
- a first driver communicatively coupled to the first firmware, the first driver receiving an asynchronous event notification from the first firmware;
- a first application communicatively coupled to the first driver, querying details of the asynchronous event occurrence, including the details of the asynchronous event into a even notification message, and sending the event notification message through an alternative path when the first driver signals of the asynchronous event to the first application,
- wherein the alternative path has been established between the first application and the second application;
- a second application suitable for communicating with the first application through the alternative path, wherein the second application receives the event notification message including the details of the asynchronous event occurrence in the first node;
- a second firmware suitable for communicating with the first firmware through the at least one SAS enclosure;
- and
- a second driver communicatively coupled to the second application, the second driver passing a command from the second application to the second firmware, the command being based the event notification message which has been sent from the first application to the second application,
- wherein the first node includes the first application, the first drive, and the first firmware and the second node include the second application, the second drive, and the second firmware.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.