High bandwidth network and storage card

A system comprising:

• a host processor;
• a main memory;
• a system bus connected to the host processor and the main memory;
• and
• an input/output (I/O) device connected to said system bus, said I/O device having a plurality of network controllers to communicate with client computers connected over a network, a plurality of storage controllers to control transfer of data to and from storage devices, at least one memory element to temporarily store data transferred between the storage devices and the client computers, and a dynamically reconfigurable switching network coupled to said system bus, wherein said plurality of network controllers, said plurality of storage controllers, said at least one memory element are interconnected using said dynamically reconfigurable switching network such that a data path between said at least one memory element and any one of said network controllers and said storage controllers is through the dynamically reconfigurable switching network.

An input/output (I/O) device, comprising:

• a plurality of network interfacing means for communicating with clients connected over a network;
• a plurality of storage interfacing means for transferring data to and from external storage devices;
• at least one memory to store data transferred between the network interfacing means and the storage interfacing means;
• and
• switching network means for selectively providing multiple communication paths between pairs of elements connected thereto, wherein said plurality of network interfacing means, said plurality of storage interfacing means and said memory are interconnected using the switching network means such that a data path between said memory and any one of said network interfacing means and said storage interfacing means is through said switching network means;
• a plurality of storage interfacing means for transferring data to and from external storage devices;
• a plurality of memories;
• and
• switching network means for interconnecting said plurality of network interfacing means, said plurality of storage interfacing means and said plurality of memories, said switching network means operative to selectively provide multiple communication paths between pairs of elements connected thereto.