Apparatus and system for distributing block data on a private network without using TCP/IP

An apparatus for transmitting data over a switched network without using a TCP/IP suite of protocols comprising:

• means for receiving a request to read a piece of data from a storage system, the piece of data being enabled to be read through one read request when stored in contiguous sectors of the storage system or through multiple read requests when stored in non-contiguous sectors of the storage system wherein the one read request identifying a number of sectors to transmit including the first sector when the piece of data is stored in contiguous sectors of the storage system, wherein when a read request is transmitted, the request is also stored in an indexed table;
• means for accessing the piece of data if the piece of data is stored in contiguous sectors of the storage system or accessing part of the piece of data if the piece of data is stored in non-contiguous sectors of the storage system in response to the received request wherein when one read request is used to request transmission of a multiplicity of sectors, receipts of the sectors are not acknowledged until all the requested sectors are received;
• means for dividing the accessed data into a plurality of packets;
• means for adding a header to each one of the packets, the header having a source and a destination hardware addresses for routing the packets on the switched network;
• and
• means for transmitting the packets.

A computer system for transmitting data over a switched network without using a TCP/IP suite of protocols comprising:

• at least one storage device for storing code data;
• and
• at least one processor for processing the code data to receive a request to read a piece of data from a storage system, the piece of data being enabled to be read through one read request when stored in contiguous sectors of the storage system or through multiple read requests when stored in non-contiguous sectors of the storage system wherein the one read request identifying a number of sectors to transmit including the first sector when the piece of data is stored in contiguous sectors of the storage system, wherein when a read request is transmitted, the request is also stored in an indexed table, to access the piece of data if the piece of data is stored in contiguous sectors of the storage system or accessing part of the piece of data if the piece of data is stored in non-contiguous sectors of the storage system in response to the received request wherein when one read request is used to request transmission of a multiplicity of sectors, receipts of the sectors are not acknowledged until all the requested sectors are received, to divide the accessed data into a plurality of packets, to add a header to each one of the packets, the header having a source and a destination hardware addresses for routing the packets on the switched network, and to transmit the packets.