Optimized redundant high availability sas topology
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsShawn C. ANDREWS, Joseph W. DAIN, Mudi M. FLUMAN, George G. ZAMORA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
For optimizing redundant high availability serial attached SCSI storage (SAS) topology by providing multiple paths to a same SAS target through a single SAS port on a base unit in a computing environment, the SAS port of a raid controller is attached to one of a multiplicity of just a bunch of disks (JBOD) expansion units having SAS expanders using an SAS cable for providing limited hardware footprint. Load balancing is provided between the base unit and each of the SAS expanders by converting the single SAS port into both dual and redundant paths using the SAS cable.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of just a bunch of disks (JBOD) expansion units;
- serial attached SCSI storage (SAS) expanders included in the plurality of JBOD expansion units;
- SAS expanders in the plurality of JBOD expansion units;
- a single SAS port that is attached to the plurality of JBOD expansion units having the SAS expanders;
- a SAS cable for connecting the SAS expanders to the single SAS port;
- and
- a base unit having the single SAS port for optimizing redundant high availability SAS topology by providing a plurality of paths to a similar SAS target through the single SAS port on the base unit, wherein
- the single SAS port is converted into multiple redundant paths using the SAS cable for providing the plurality of paths to the similar SAS target through the single SAS port on the base for limiting a hardware footprint and providing load balancing between the base unit and each of the SAS expanders.
A system for optimizing redundant high availability of a serial attached SCSI storage (SAS) storage system, comprising:
- a target SAS expansion unit;
- a base unit in communication with the target SAS expansion unit:
- an internal SAS expander on the base unit;
- and
- a SAS expander port, attached to the SAS base unit, having four physical links (PHYs) combined into the SAS expander port, and the four PHYs are converted into multiple redundant paths by connecting the multiple redundant paths to the target SAS expansion unit through the SAS expander port for limiting a hardware footprint and providing load balancing between the base unit and the target SAS expansion unit.
A method of manufacturing, comprising:
- providing a plurality of just a bunch of disks (JBOD) expansion units;
- providing serial attached SCSI storage (SAS) expanders included in the plurality of JBOD expansion units;
- providing SAS expanders in the plurality of JBOD expansion units;
- providing a single SAS port that is attached to the plurality of JBOD expansion units having the SAS expanders;
- providing a SAS cable for connecting the SAS expanders to the SAS port;
- and
- providing a base unit having the single SAS port for optimizing redundant high availability SAS topology by providing a plurality of paths to a similar SAS target through the single SAS port on the base unit, wherein
- the SAS single port is converted into multiple redundant paths using the SAS cable for providing the plurality of paths to the similar target SAS expander through the SAS port on the base for limiting a hardware footprint and providing load balancing between the base unit and each of the SAS expanders.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.