Tightly-coupled disk-to-CPU storage server

A scalable server, comprising:

• a plurality of server modules, each of said server modules comprising at least one plurality of storage devices respectively coupled to at least one bi-directional loop, and a processor and a buffer adapted for controlling said at least one plurality of storage devices;
• a cross bar switch coupled to said plurality of server modules, said server modules accepting data requests from a plurality of clients;
• at least one server controller coupled to said processors of said plurality of server modules, said at least one server controller for routing control instructions from a head-end to a particular server module;
• each of said server modules issuing data retrieval commands only to its associated plurality of storage devices;
• and
• at least one data communications path coupled between the respective cross bar switches of each storage server, where any of said cross bar switches is capable of routing data from any one of said server modules to said clients requesting said data.