Methods and structure enhancing zone configuration in a serial attached SCSI environment

A Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) expander comprising:

• multiple PHYs;
• a memory operable to store current SAS zoning data and shadow SAS zoning data for the PHYs;
• and
• a control unit operable to alter the shadow SAS zoning data based on received SMP zone configuration commands,
• the control unit further operable to acquire a Serial Management Protocol (SMP) ZONE ACTIVATE command, further operable to detect a ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, further operable to copy, at the expander, the shadow SAS zoning data from the memory of the expander to the current SAS zoning data at the memory of the expander responsive to acquiring the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, and further operable to unlock the SAS expander responsive to detecting the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.

A method comprising:

• embedding, at a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) initiator, a ZONE UNLOCK request within a Serial Management Protocol (SMP) ZONE ACTIVATE command;
• transmitting the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command to a SAS expander via a PHY of the SAS initiator;
• receiving, at the SAS expander, the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command;
• detecting, at the SAS expander, the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE COMMAND;
• copying, at the SAS expander, shadow SAS zoning data from a memory of the expander to current SAS zoning data at the memory of the expander responsive to acquiring the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command;
• and
• unlocking the SAS expander responsive to detecting the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.