Methods and systems for communicating with storage systems using slim ip stacks

A method for establishing a communication link between a host and a storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing on the host a communication stack including a TCP/IP module and a host physical layer module;
• providing on the storage device a storage-command interpreter and a storage physical layer module;
• and
• establishing a communication channel between an application in the host and the storage device, said communication channel using said communication stack, said storage-command interpreter and said storage physical layer module;
• wherein the TCP/IP module,
• transfers application data without TCP/IP headers, and
• converts TCP/IP commands received from the application into physical port driver commands sent to the host physical layer module.

A storage device for communicating with a host system, the storage device comprising:

• a storage command extractor in communication with a host physical layer, the host further including a TCP/IP module and a host physical layer module;
• and
• a storage-command module connected to the storage command extractor;
• wherein a communication channel is established between an application in the host and the storage device, said communication channel using said TCP/IP module and said storage command extractor;
• wherein the TCP/IP module converts TCP/IP commands received from an application in the host to storage commands for the storage device.