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US 7,406,509 B2Granted
Dynamic switching of a communication port in a storage system between target and initiator modes
AssigneeNetwork Appliance, Inc.
InventorsJohn A. Meneghini, Arthur F. Lent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A storage system includes a communication port, the mode of operation of which can be dynamically switched by a user between a target mode and an initiator mode. The port may be a Fibre Channel port. The storage system may be a unified storage system operable to provide file-level access and block-level access to stored data.
Claims10
A method comprising:
- operating a storage system that includes a communication port, the port having a mode of operation, wherein the storage system is operable to provide a host with access to a set of mass storage devices by using the port, and to provide a plurality of hosts with file-level access and block-level access to stored data;
- and
- configuring the storage system from a first network configuration to a second network configuration or vice versa by dynamically switching the mode of operation of the port between a target mode and an initiator mode in response to user input from a user of the storage system, wherein in the first network configuration, the port is configured in the target mode and the storage system is connected through the port via a switching fabric to a set of clients to provide the set of clients with block-level access to a set of mass storage devices, and wherein in the second network configuration, the port is configured in the initiator mode.
A storage system, comprising:
- a communication port, the port having a mode of operation, and being operable to provide a host with access to a set of mass storage devices by using the port, and to provide a plurality of hosts with file-level access and block-level access to stored data;
- and
- a controller to dynamically switch the mode of operation of the port between a target mode and an initiator mode in response to user input from a user of the storage system such that the storage system is configured from a first network configuration to a second network configuration or vice versa, wherein in the first network configuration, the port is configured in the target mode and the storage system is connected through the port via a switching fabric to a set of clients to provide the set of clients with block-level access to a set of mass storage devices, and wherein in the second network configuration, the port is configured in the initiator mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.