Redundant storage virtualization subsystem having data path branching functionality

A computer system comprising a host entity and a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS), said SVS comprising:

• a first and a second storage virtualization controller (SVC) redundantly configured into a redundant SVC pair;
• a physical storage device (PSD) array;
• and
• a first and a second data path provided between said first SVC and said PSD array and configured as a first pair of redundant data paths;
• and
• a third and a fourth data path provided between said second SVC and said PSD array and configured as a second pair of redundant data paths;
• wherein said SVCs are provided in a first enclosure, said PSD array is provided in a second enclosure, and said first data path and said fourth data path between said first enclosure and said second enclosure are configured as a third pair of redundant data paths and are contained in a single cable, part of said cable contained in a connector, where said third pair of redundant data paths including said first data path and said fourth data path are independent from each other in said single cable such that data path redundancy between said SVCs and said PSD array can be achieved by said single cable containing said redundant first data path and fourth data path;
• and
• wherein when one of said first, second, third and fourth data paths is inaccessible, while one or more of the rest of the three data paths are accessible by said SVCs to said PSD array, data access by said SVCs to said PSD array is performed through said accessible data path.

A data access performing method for using in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS), said SVS comprising a first and a second storage virtualization controller (SVC) redundantly configured into a redundant SVC pair and a physical storage device (PSD) array;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• providing a first and a second data path configured as a first pair of redundant data paths between said first SVC and said PSD array;
• providing a third and a fourth data path configured as a second pair of redundant data paths between said second SVC and said PSD array;
• and
• providing said SVCs in a first enclosure;
• and
• providing said PSD array in a second enclosure, in which said first data path and said fourth data path between said first enclosure and said second enclosure are configured as a third pair of redundant data paths and are contained in a single cable, part of said cable contained in a connector, where said third pair of redundant data paths including said first data path and said fourth data path are independent from each other in said single cable such that data path redundancy between said SVCs and said PSD array can be achieved by said single cable containing said redundant first data path and fourth data path, and when one of said first, second, third and fourth data paths is inaccessible, while one or more of the rest of the three data paths are accessible by said SVCs to said PSD array, data access by said SVCs to said PSD array is performed through said accessible data path.