Data encoding and decoding in a data storage system

A system comprising:

• a circuit card comprising an integrated circuit, said circuit card capable of being coupled to a bus, said integrated circuit comprising:
• encoding circuitry capable of encoding decoded data into encoded data;
• and
• protocol engine circuitry capable of transmitting a frame from said apparatus to a receiving device via a communication network of a data storage system, and capable of detecting if said receiving device has decoding circuitry capable of decoding said encoded data into said decoded data, said encoding circuitry providing said encoded data if said receiving device has decoding circuitry capable of decoding said encoded data into said decoded data, and said encoding circuitry providing said decoded data if said receiving device does not have decoding circuitry capable of decoding said encoded data into said decoded data.

An article comprising:

• a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following:
• transmitting a frame from a transmitting device to a receiving device via a communication network of a data storage system;
• enabling an encoding operation of said transmitting device to encode decoded data into encoded data and transmitting said encoded data in said frame via said communication network if said receiving device has a decoding operation capable of decoding said encoded data into said decoded data;
• and
• disabling said encoding operation and transmitting said decoded data in said frame via said communication network to said receiving device if said receiving device does not have said decoding operation capable of decoding said encoded data into said decoded data.