Dynamically reconfigurable data storage system with storage system controllers selectively operable as channel adapters on storage device adapters

A dynamically reconfigurable data storage system coupled to at least one host computer over a plurality of data communication channels, comprising:

• a plurality of storage system controllers, a plurality of said plurality of storage system controllers selectively operable at any given time as one of a channel adapter and a storage device adapter, as established by commands received by each of said plurality of selectively operable storage system controllers;
• each of said plurality of selectively operable storage system controllers responsive to a data storage system director, said data storage system director operative for issuing said commands to each of said plurality of selectively operable storage system controllers, for establishing a first quantity of said plurality of selectively operable storage system controllers as channel adapters, for transmitting and receiving at least data and commands to and from said at least one host computer over at least one data channel, and for establishing a second quantity of said plurality of selectively operable storage system controllers as storage device adapters, for controlling data transfer between the at least one semiconductor memory, the first quantity of channel adapters, and a plurality of data storage devices;
• and
• said data storage system director including a data storage system performance monitor, for monitoring data storage system activity levels, and for dynamically altering said first quantity of storage system controllers selectively operable as channel adapters, and said second quantity of storage system controllers selectively operable as storage device adapters in response to said data storage system performance monitor, and for reconfiguring at least one of said data storage system controllers thereby changing at least one of said first quantity of channel adapters and said second quantity of storage device adapters from a channel adapter to a storage device adapter, or from a storage device adapter to a channel adapter.

A method for monitoring and dynamically controlling a reconfigurable data storage system having a plurality of storage system controllers, each of said storage system controllers selectively operable at any given moment in time, as one of a channel adapter and a storage adapter, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a first quantity of said storage system controllers as channel adapters, for transmitting and receiving at least data and commands to one or more host computers over one or more date channels;
• establishing a second quantity of said system controllers, said second quantity of system controllers not part of said first quantity of system controllers, as storage device adapters, for controlling data transfer between at least one semiconductor memory, the first quantity of channel adapters, and a plurality of data storage devices;
• monitoring the performance of the data storage system;
• and
• reconfiguring at least one of said system controllers thereby changing at least one of said first quantity of channel adapters and said second quantity of storage device adapters from a channel adapter to a storage device adapter, or from a storage device adapter to a channel adapter.