Method and system for multi-initiator support to streaming devices in a fibre channel network

A system for processing multiple commands to a streaming target device through a SCSI router in a Fibre Channel network having a plurality of Fibre Channel hosts, comprising:

• instructions for creating a FIFO queue in the SCSI router;
• instructions for receiving in the SCSI router a first command from one of the plurality of Fibre Channel hosts and for forwarding the first command to the streaming target device;
• instructions for processing in the SCSI router a subsequent command from one of either said one of the plurality of Fibre Channel hosts or from one of other ones of the plurality of Fibre Channel hosts, further comprising:
• (a) instructions for receiving the subsequent command in the SCSI router;
• (b) instructions for determining whether the streaming target device has completed execution of the first command;
• (c) if the streaming target device has completed execution of the first command, instructions for forwarding the subsequent command to the streaming target device;
• (d) if the streaming target device has not executed the first command, instructions for placing the subsequent command in the FIFO queue;
• and
• (e) instructions for forwarding the subsequent command from the FIFO queue to the streaming target device upon execution of the first command by the streaming target device;
• and
• instructions for repeating the step of processing the subsequent command from one of either said one of the plurality of Fibre Channel hosts or said one of other ones of the plurality of Fibre Channel hosts for at least one additional subsequent command, wherein the subsequent command is the first command and the at least one additional subsequent command is the subsequent command.

A method for processing commands to a streaming target device through a first router in a network having one or more hosts including a first host, wherein the one or more hosts are capable of communicating in a first protocol, and the streaming target device is capable of communicating using a second protocol different from the first protocol, and wherein, within the first router, the method comprises:

• receiving a first command from the first host and forwarding the first command to the streaming target device;
• processing a subsequent command from the first host or a different host, wherein processing the subsequent command comprises:
• receiving the subsequent command in the router;
• determining whether the streaming target device has completed execution of the first command;
• if the streaming target device has completed execution of the first command, forwarding the subsequent command to the streaming target device;
• if the streaming target device has not completed executing the first command, placing the subsequent command in a FIFO queue;
• and
• forwarding the subsequent command from the FIFO queue to the streaming target device upon completion of the first command by the streaming target device.

A computer readable medium having code embedded therein for enabling a system for processing commands to a streaming target device through a first router in a network having a one or more hosts including a first host, wherein the one or more hosts are capable of communicating using a first protocol, and the steaming target device is capable of communicating using a second protocol different from the first protocol, the code comprising:

• instructions for forwarding a first command to the streaming target device after receiving in the first router the first command from the first host;
• instructions for processing in the first router a subsequent command from the first host or a different host, wherein the instructions for processing the subsequent command further comprise:
• instructions for receiving the subsequent command in the first router;
• instructions for determining whether the streaming target device has completed execution of the first command;
• if the streaming target device has completed execution of the first command, instructions for forwarding the subsequent command to the streaming target device;
• if the streaming target device has not executed the first command, instructions for placing the subsequent command in a FIFO queue;
• and
• instructions for forwarding the subsequent command from the FIFO queue to the streaming target device upon execution of the first command by the streaming target device;
• and
• instructions for repeating processing the subsequent command for an additional subsequent command, wherein the subsequent command is treated as the first command and the additional subsequent command is treated as the subsequent command.