Data storage system with one or more integrated server-like behaviors

A network adapter that may be used in a network data storage system that permits data communication among data exchanging devices and a data storage system input/outnut (I/O) controller, the controller residing in the data storage system, the data exchanging devices being external to the adapter, the adapter comprising:

• one or more interfaces that may be coupled to an electrical backplane of the system, the backplane being coupled to the controller and being configured to permit communication between the controller and the adapter when the one or more interfaces are coupled to the backplane;
• and
• the adapter being configured such that the adapter may provide at least one server behavior, wherein:
• the adapter comprises a first processing section and a second processing section;
• when the one or more interfaces are coupled to the backplane, the first processing section may communicate with the controller via a first subset of the interfaces, and the second processing section may communicate with the controller via a second subset of the interfaces;
• and
• each of the processing sections comprises a respective microprocessor.

A circuit card configured to be inserted into and received by a circuit card slot in a network data storage system, the card comprising:

• one or more interfaces that may be coupled via a signal transmission system of the data storage system to an input/output (I/O) controller of the data storage system when the card is inserted into the slot, the one or more interfaces permitting communication between the controller and the card when the one or more interfaces are coupled to the controller;
• and
• the card being configured such that the adapter may provide at least one server behavior, wherein:
• the card includes a first processing section and a second processing section;
• the card includes a first set of ports and a second set of ports, the sets of ports each comprise respective types and a respective number of ports, and the respective types and number of ports comprised in the first set of ports corresponds to the respective types and number of ports comprised in the second set of ports;
• the one or more interfaces include a first set of interfaces and a second set of interfaces, the sets of interfaces each comprise respective types of interfaces and a respective number of interfaces, the respective types and the respective number of interfaces comprised in the first set of interfaces corresponds to the respective types and the respective number of interfaces comprised in the second set of interfaces;
• and
• when the card is inserted in the slot:
• the first processing section may communicate with the controller via the first set of interfaces,
• the second processing section may communicate with the controller via the second set of interfaces, and
• the first processing section and the second processing section may communicate with the data exchanging devices via the first set of ports and the second set of ports, respectively.

A circuit card configured to be inserted into and received by a circuit card slot in a network data storage system, the card comprising:

• one or more interfaces that may be coupled via a signal transmission system of the data storage system to an input/output (I/O) controller of the data storage system when the card is inserted into the slot, the one or more interfaces permitting communication between the controller and the card when the one or more interfaces are coupled to the controller;
• and
• the card being configured such that the adapter may provide at least one server behavior, wherein the at least one server behavior includes at least one of the following:
• making available to one or more of the data exchanging devices an application-level program resource;
• providing, in response to a block-oriented communication received by the adapter from the controller, a file-oriented communication to one or more of the data exchanging devices;
• and
• providing, in response to a file-oriented communication received by the adapter from the one or more of the data exchanging devices, a block-oriented communication to the controller.

A method of using a network adapter in a network data storage system that permits data communication among data exchanging devices and a data storage system input/output (I/O) controller, the controller residing in the data storage system, the data exchanging devices being external to the adapter, the adapter including one or more interfaces and being configurable such that the adapter may provide at least one server behavior, the method comprising:

• coupling the one or more interfaces to an electrical backplane of the system, the backplane being coupled to the controller and being configured to permit communication between the controller and the adapter when the one or more interfaces are coupled to the backplane;
• configuring the adapter such that the adapter may provide the at least one server behaviors,
• wherein the at least one server behavior includes at least one of the following:
• making available to one or more of the data exchanging devices an application-level program resource;
• providing, in response to a block-oriented communication received by the adapter from the controller, a file-oriented communication to one or more of the data exchanging devices;
• and
• providing, in response to a file-oriented communication received by the adapter from the one or more of the data exchanging devices, a block-oriented communication to the controller.

A method of using a network adapter in a network data storage system that permits data communication among data exchanging devices and a data storage system input/output (I/O) controller, the controller residing in the data storage system, the data exchanging devices being external to the adapter, the adapter including one or more interfaces and being configurable such that the adapter may provide at least one server behavior, the method comprising:

• coupling the one or more interfaces to an electrical backplane of the system, the backplane being coupled to the controller and being configured to permit communication between the controller and the adapter when the one or more interfaces are coupled to the backplane;
• configuring the adapter such that the adapter may provide the at least one server behavior, wherein:
• the adapter comprises a first processing section and a second processing section;
• the first processing section communicates with the controller via a first subset of the interfaces, and the second processing section communicates with the controller via a second subset of the interfaces;
• and
• each of the processing sections comprises a respective microprocessor.

A method of using a circuit card that is configured to be inserted into and received by a circuit card slot in a network data storage system, the card including one or more interfaces and being configurable such that the card may provide at least one server behavior, the method comprising:

• inserting the card into the slot, the inserting of the card into the slot coupling the one or more interfaces of the card to a signal transmission system in the data storage system that permits communication between the controller and the card;
• configuring the card such that the card may provide the at least one server behavior, wherein:
• the card includes a first processing section and a second processing section;
• the card includes a first set of ports and a second set of ports, the sets of ports each comprise respective types and a respective number of ports, and the respective types and number of ports comprised in the first set of ports corresponds to the respective types and number of ports comprised in the second set of ports;
• the one or more interfaces include a first set of interfaces and a second set of interfaces, the sets of interfaces each comprise respective types of interfaces and a respective number of interfaces, the respective types and the respective number of interfaces comprised in the first set of interfaces corresponds to the respective types;
• the first processing section may communicate with the controller via the first set of interfaces;
• the second processing section may communicate with the controller via the second set of interfaces, and
• the first processing section and the second processing section may communicate with the data exchanging devices via the first set of ports and the second set of ports, respectively.

A method of using a circuit card that is configured to be inserted into and received by a circuit card slot in a network data storage system, the card including one or more interfaces and being configurable such that the card may provide at least one server behavior, the method comprising:

• inserting the card into the slot, the inserting of the card into the slot coupling the one or more interfaces of the card to a signal transmission system in the data storage system that permits communication between the controller and the card;
• configuring the card such that the card may provide the at least one server behavior, wherein the at least one server behavior includes at least one of the following:
• making available to one or more of the data exchanging devices an application-level program resource;
• providing, in response to a block-oriented communication received by the adapter from the controller, a file-oriented communication to one or more of the data exchanging devices;
• and
• providing, in response to a file-oriented communication received by the adapter from the one or more of the data exchanging devices, a block-oriented communication to the controller.