Tag allocation for queued commands across multiple devices

A system for processing commands associated with a set of devices, comprising:

• a host bus adapter, configured to:
• provide an interface for connecting the set of devices to a host, and
• manage the allocation of a set of tags to one or more of the devices;
• and
• a queue-management apparatus, configured to:
• send a tag request for a device from the set of devices to the host bus adapter,
• receive a subset of the tags for the device from the host bus adapter, wherein the host bust adapter allocates the subset of tags based on a usage activity level of the device, and
• use the set of tags to queue commands from the host to the device and to track the status of the queued commands.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to carry out steps that include:

• sending a tag request for a device to a host bus adapter in the computer system, wherein the device is included in the computer system;
• receiving a set of tags from the host bus adapter, wherein the set of tags is based on a first usage activity level of the device;
• and
• using the set of tags to:
• queue commands from a host in the computer system to the device, and
• track the status of the queued commands.