Arbitration monitoring for serial attached small computer system interface systems during discovery
AssigneeAvago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
InventorsReid A. Kaufmann, Charles D. Henry, Jeffrey D. Weide, James A. Seely
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and structure for detecting that arbitration is delaying discovery. One embodiment is a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) expander. The SAS expander includes multiple SAS ports, a port monitor, and a controller. The port monitor is able to track physical link events during arbitration for at least one of the ports while discovery is in progress at the expander, and to detect based on the physical link events that arbitration is delaying discovery. The controller is able to prioritize discovery requests at the expander responsive to detecting that arbitration is delaying discovery.
Claims20
A Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface expander, comprising:
- multiple Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface ports;
- a port monitor operable to track physical link events during arbitration for at least one of the ports while discovery is in progress at the expander, and to detect based on the physical link events that arbitration is delaying discovery;
- and
- a controller operable to prioritize discovery requests at the expander responsive to detecting that arbitration is delaying discovery.
A method comprising:
- tracking physical link events during arbitration for at least one Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface port of an expander while discovery is in progress at the expander;
- detecting, based on the physical link events, that arbitration is delaying discovery;
- and
- prioritizing discovery requests at the expander responsive to detecting that arbitration is delaying discovery.
A Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface expander, comprising:
- multiple Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface ports;
- a means for tracking physical link events during arbitration for at least one of the ports while discovery is in progress at the expander, and for detecting based on the physical link events that arbitration is delaying discovery;
- and
- a means for prioritizing discovery requests at the expander responsive to detecting that arbitration is delaying discovery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.