Methods for simplified integration of host based storage array c

Details Methods for simplified integration of host based storage array c Methods for simplified integration of host based storage array c

1996-03-29

1999-02-02

Lee, Thomas C.

395828, G06F 1310

Patent

active

058677364

ABSTRACT:
Methods operable in a SCSI RAID subsystem to enable improved portability in host based RAID management programs. RAID management programs which provide an administrative user interface for managing the operation and configuration of a RAID subsystem have traditionally communicated with the RAID system using control function calls (ioctl) through the operating system's device driver. Ioctl function calls are notoriously non-standardized among different operating systems and even among different versions of certain operating systems. The methods of the present invention are operable within a RAID subsystem to enable use of standardized read and write system function calls to the device driver for communication with a control port within the RAID subsystem. A special LUN is reserved for such read and write administrative calls. The special control port LUN processes the read and write calls to perform the desired RAID management functions on behalf of the management program on an attached host computer. Tag field values are used as logical block numbers in the read and write commands directed to the control port LUN to identify which of several management programs issued the command. The control port LUN within the SCSI RAID subsystem enables the host management program to utilize standardized read and write system function calls. Use of these standardized system function calls significantly enhances the portability of RAID management programs between a plurality of computing environments.

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