High speed fault tolerant mass storage network information server

Abstract

The information server system incorporates a high speed, microcomputer based server running industry standard operating system software enhanced to include functionality directed to operation of a new disk array controller, which controls the physically independent or integral disk storage device array, and communications interface. The disk array controller subsystem controls and communicates with the disk storage device array with a Fibre Channel protocol. The disk storage device array incorporates a plurality of disk storage devices with a corresponding number of bypass interface cards configured to facilitate the on-line addition, removal and replacement of disk storage devices. In additional to incorporating the above described buses and Fibre Channel capability, the disk array further incorporates a physically independent Fibre Channel compatible optical bus for high speed, communication between disk storage device array subsystem components, including the internal disk storage devices, independent from the information server. A wide array of user reconfigurable options are available as well as a scalable expansion capability.

1 - 26 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       27 . A storage device array system for an information server system, the storage device array system comprising: 
 a storage device array including a plurality of disk storage devices and at least a corresponding number of bypass interface cards, all of which communicate with one another; and    a storage array controller subsystem for controlling said storage device array.    
   
   
       28 . The storage device array system of  claim 27 , wherein said storage device array comprises a predetermined number of bypass interface cards which populate the entire storage device array whether or not the entire storage device array is fully populated with a corresponding number of storage devices.  
   
   
       29 . The storage device array system of  claim 27 , wherein each said disk storage device is hot-swappable.  
   
   
       30 . The storage device array system of  claim 27 , wherein said disk storage devices are selected from the group consisting of optical, magnetic disk, magnetic tape, magneto-optical media, flash and bubble memory devices, compact, read-only disk, and digital video disk storage devices.  
   
   
       31 . The storage device array system of  claim 27 , wherein said disk storage devices include electronic device registration devices.  
   
   
       32 . The storage device array system of  claim 31 , wherein said storage array controller subsystem monitors identification numbers of said electronic device registration devices.  
   
   
       33 . The storage device array system of  claim 31 , wherein said storage array controller subsystem monitors when a component in the information server system is removed or added.  
   
   
       34 . The storage device array system of  claim 31 , wherein said electronic device registration devices are integrated into an electronic circuitry of each of the disk storage devices such that engagement or disengagement of each disk storage device with the storage device array causes a triggering of the electronic device registration devices to generate and transmit a unique identifying serial number signal unique to each disk storage device to said storage array controller subsystem.  
   
   
       35 . The storage device array system of  claim 31 , wherein a triggering of said electronic device registration devices causes said electronic device registration devices to generate and transmit a unique identifying serial number signal unique to each disk storage device to said storage array controller subsystem, and upon receiving the signal, said storage array controller subsystem then immediately either initiates logical connection or disconnection of the disk storage device to or from the storage device array, depending on whether the disk storage device has been engaged or disengaged, respectively.  
   
   
       36 . The storage device array system of  claim 31 , wherein said storage array controller subsystem accomplishes the electrical and logical connection and disconnection of the disk storage device by control of said bypass interface cards.  
   
   
       37 . The storage device array system of  claim 31 , wherein said storage array controller subsystem is adapted to configure said disk storage device for fault tolerant, data redundancy protocols.  
   
   
       38 . The storage device array system of  claim 37 , wherein said storage array controller subsystem is adapted to configure said disk storage device for a configuration selected from the group consisting of RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 3, RAID 5, RAID 10 and an XOR RAID configuration.