High speed information processing and mass storage system and method, particularly for information and application servers

Abstract

A high speed, microcomputer based, Fibre Channel compatible and fault tolerant information processing and mass storage system especially suited for information servers and application servers. A unique and extremely versatile system architecture, including a dual loop arbitrated, Fibre Channel capable, multiple-fault tolerant, hot-swappable mass storage disk array, permits combinations of servers and mass storage arrays which can be tailored for a wide variety of applications and which can be configured with emphasis on the system characteristics such as redundancy, speed, processing capability, storage capability, and the like, as desired. A unique backplane and/or midplane arrangement for connecting the system components allows for easy and, in most cases, on-line field upgrading and/or service and at the same time provides for the very effective cooling of components, particularly those such as disk drives which tend to produce a lot of heat.

1 - 36 . (canceled)  
   
   
       37 . A method for transferring data in a network server system, the network server system being connected to a network for providing subscribers on a network with access to data from the network server system, comprising: 
 providing at least one mass storage device;    providing first and second controllers, at least one of the first and second controllers being connected to the network for receiving input signals from the network and for outputting signals from the network server system to the network, and at least one of the first and second controllers being connected to said at least one mass storage device for controlling input and output of said at least one mass storage device;    providing at least one central processing unit connected to the first and second controllers, said at least one central processing unit establishing direct communication between the first controller and the second controller; and    maintaining the direct communication between the first and second controllers independently of said at least one central processing unit, freeing said at least one central processing unit.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the first and second controllers operate with a Fibre Channel protocol.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the first and second controllers comprise arbitrated loop dual channel Fibre Channel controllers.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said at least one of the first and second controllers is connected to an optical input/output connector which is connected to the at least one mass storage device, the optical input/output connector outputting electrical signals as output light signals and inputting light signals to the first controller as input electrical signals.  
   
   
       41 . A method for transferring data in a network server system, the network server system being connected to a network for providing subscribers on a network with access to data from the network server system, comprising: 
 providing a high speed mass storage system;    providing first and second Fibre Channel controllers, at least one of the first and second controllers being connected to the network for receiving input signals from the network and for outputting signals from the network server system to the network, and at least one of the first and second controllers being connected to the high speed mass storage system for controlling input and output from the mass storage system;    providing at least one central processing unit connected to the first and second Fibre Channel controllers, said at least one central processing unit establishing direct communication between the first Fibre Channel controller and the second Fibre Channel controller; and    maintaining the direct communication between the first and second controllers independently of said at least one central processing unit, freeing said at least one central processing unit.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first and second Fibre Channel controllers comprise arbitrated loop dual channel Fibre Channel controllers.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said at least one of the first and second Fibre Channel controllers is connected to an optical input/output connector which is connected to the high speed mass storage system, the optical input/output connector outputting electrical signals as output light signals and inputting light signals to the first controller as input electrical signals.  
   
   
       44 . A method for transferring data in a network server system, the network server system being connected to a network for providing subscribers on a network with access to data from the network server system, the method comprising: 
 providing a mass storage system which is readily expandable to increase its storage capacity while the system is in operation, said mass storage system including at least one mass storage module with a plurality of plug-in storage devices for storing information;    providing at least one central processing unit;    providing a plurality of storage device bypass circuit boards associated with each of said storage devices, respectively, each storage device being plugged into a connector on the storage device bypass circuit board;    providing a module bypass circuit board including an optical input/output connector for outputting electrical signals from said at least one mass storage module as light signals and for inputting light signals into said at least one mass storage module as electrical signals; and    providing at least one controller providing a communication path between said at least one central processing unit with said plurality of storage devices through said storage device bypass circuit boards, respectively, and through the module bypass circuit board.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein each storage device bypass circuit board includes a circuit which completes the connection of the CPU with the other storage device bypass circuits and their associated storage devices whether or not the storage device is present.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44  wherein said at least one mass storage module comprises a first mass storage module and at least one additional mass storage module, and the module bypass circuit board connects to said at least one additional mass storage module by outputting electrical signals from said first mass storage module to said at least one additional mass storage module via the optical input/output connector when light signals are received from said at least one additional mass storage module by said optical input/output connector.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 44  wherein said at least one mass storage module comprises first and second mass storage modules each including one said Module bypass circuit board including one said optical input/output connector, and wherein the optical input/output connectors of the first and second mass storage modules are connected by a fiber optic transmission medium such that signals are communicated between the first and second mass storage modules in the form of light.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein the module bypass circuit board of the first mass storage module connects to the second mass storage module by outputting electrical signals from the first mass storage module to the second mass storage module via the optical input/output connectors when light signals are received from the second mass storage module by said optical input/output connector of said first mass storage module.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the controller operates with a Fibre Channel protocol.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the controller is an arbitrated loop dual channel Fibre Channel controller.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 44  wherein each storage device is a disk drive and wherein each storage device bypass circuit board comprises a disk drive bypass circuit board including a circuit which completes the connection of the CPU with the other drive bypass circuits and their associated disk drives whether or not the disk drive is present.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51  wherein said at least one mass storage module comprises a first mass storage module and at least one additional mass storage module, and the module bypass circuit board connects to said at least one additional mass storage module by outputting electrical signals from said first mass storage module to said at least one additional mass storage module via the optical input/output connector when light signals are received from said at least one additional mass storage module by said optical input/output connector.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 50  including first and second mass storage modules each including one said module bypass circuit board including one said optical input/output connector, wherein the optical input/output connectors of the first and second mass storage modules are connected by a fiber optic transmission medium such that signals are communicated between the first and second mass storage modules in the form of light.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 53  wherein the module bypass circuit board of the first mass storage module connects to the second mass storage module by outputting electrical signals from the first mass storage module to the second mass storage module via the optical input/output connectors when light signals are received from the second mass storage module by said optical input/output connector of said first mass storage module.  
   
   
       55 . A network server system, comprising: 
 a central processing unit;    a first controller communicatively coupled to the central processing unit;    a mass storage device communicatively coupled to the first controller, the first controller configured to control communications to and from the mass storage device; and    a second controller communicatively coupled to the central processing unit and the first controller, the second controller configured to communicate with a network, the central processing unit being operative to establish direct communication between the first and second controllers, and said first and second controllers being operative to maintain the direct communication independent of the central processing unit.    
   
   
       56 . The network server system of  claim 55 , wherein the first controller communicates with the mass storage device over a high speed optical network.  
   
   
       57 . A server system, comprising: 
 a central processing unit;    a first controller communicatively coupled to the central processing unit and configured to control communications to and from at least one mass storage device over an optical communication path; and    a second controller communicatively coupled to the central processing unit and the first controller, the second controller configured to communicate with a network, the central processing unit being operative to establish direct communication between the first and second controllers, and said first and second controllers being operative to maintain the direct communication independent of the central processing unit.    
   
   
       58 . In a network server system, the improvement in the network server system comprising: 
 a first controller communicatively coupled to the network server system;    a mass storage device communicatively coupled to the first controller, the first controller configured to control communications to and from the mass storage device; and    a second controller communicatively coupled to the network server system and the first controller, the second controller configured to communicate with a network, the network server system being operative to establish direct communication between the first and second controllers, and said first and second controllers being operative to maintain the direct communication with each other once the direct communication is established.    
   
   
       59 . A network server system, comprising: 
 a network communications interface;    a mass storage device; and    a storage device controller communicatively coupled to the network communications interface and to the mass storage device to control communications between the network communications interface and the mass storage device, said network communications interface being operative to establish direct communications between the mass storage device and the network communications interface via the storage device controller.    
   
   
       60 . The network server system of  claim 59 , further comprising: 
 a central processing unit communicatively coupled to the network communications interface to receive data requests from the network communications interface.    
   
   
       61 . The network server system of  claim 60 , wherein the central processing unit is bypassed by establishing direct communications between the mass storage device and the network communications interface via the storage controller.  
   
   
       62 . A method for transferring data in a network server system, the network server system being connected to a network for providing subscribers on a network with access to data from the network server system, the method comprising: 
 providing a network communications interface;    providing a mass storage device;    providing a storage device controller communicatively coupled to the network communications interface and to the mass storage device to control communications between network communications interface and the mass storage device; and    establishing direct communications between the mass storage device and the network communications interface via the storage device controller.    
   
   
       63 . A network server system, comprising: 
 a network communications interface;    a mass storage device;    a storage device controller communicatively coupled to the network communications interface and to the mass storage device to control communications between network communications interface and the mass storage device; and    means for establishing direct communications between the mass storage device and the network communications interface via the storage device controller.    
   
   
       64 . A mass storage server, comprising: 
 a plurality of interface cards, each interface card configured to automatically detect whether a storage device is coupled to the interface card; and    a mid-plane connector board having two opposing sides and a plurality of sockets for connecting the interface cards on each opposing side of the mid-plane connector board.    
   
   
       65 . The mass storage server of  claim 64 , wherein the plurality of interface cards are bypass cards that can be sequentially connected together to interconnect a plurality of storage devices.  
   
   
       66 . A mass storage server, comprising: 
 a plurality of hot-swappable storage devices interconnected in a loop; and    a mid-plane connector board having two opposing sides and a plurality of sockets for connecting the hot-swappable storage devices on each opposing side of the mid-plane connector board.    
   
   
       67 . The mass storage server of  claim 66 , wherein each of said hot-swappable storage devices is coupled to the mid-plane connector board via a bypass card.  
   
   
       68 . An information server system having a scalable, modular, fault tolerant, hot swappable architecture of a plurality of components for interfacing with a computer network, comprising: 
 a central processing unit;    means for interfacing with a computer network connected to the central processing unit;    a mass storage subsystem connected to the central processing unit; and    a mid-plane connector board having two opposing sides and means for connecting the interface cards for the components on each said opposing side of the mid-plane connector board.    
   
   
       69 . Apparatus for increasing the throughput rates of a user computer having a communications interface via a network with a host server system, the user computer communications interface including a modem of the type utilizing a database hash table for decryption of encrypted data received from the host server system, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for installing a supplementary database hash table in the user computer to replace the function of the hash table in the modem;    means for accessing the supplementary hash table installed in the computer for decryption of encrypted data received from the host server system; and    means for synchronizing the modem with the transmission speed of the host server system by gradually increasing the setting of the throughput rate of the modem along with that of data transmission from the host server system.    
   
   
       70 . A system for increasing the throughput rates of a user computer, comprising: 
 a user computer having a communications interface, the communications interface including a modem of the type utilizing a database hash table for decryption of encrypted data received;    a host server system; and    a network communicatively coupling the host server system and the user computer, wherein a supplementary database hash table is installed in the user computer to replace the function of the hash table in the modem, the supplementary hash table installed in the computer is accessed by the user computer to decrypt encrypted data received from the host server system, and the modem is synchronized with the transmission speed of the host server system by gradually increasing the setting of the throughput rate of the modem along with that of data transmission from the host server system.    
   
   
       71 . A high speed mass storage system which is readily expandable to increase its storage capacity while the system is in operation, comprising: 
 first and second mass storage modules, each mass storage module having at least one hot-swappable storage device;    a module bypass circuit board including an optical input/output connector for outputting electrical signals from the module as light signals and for inputting light signals into the module as electrical signals, and wherein the first and second mass storage modules are connected to the module bypass circuit board by a fiber optic transmission medium such that signals are communicated between the first and second mass storage modules in the form of light; and    a controller managing a communication path between the first and second mass storage modules through the module bypass circuit board.    
   
   
       72 . A high speed mass storage system which is readily expandable to increase its storage capacity while the system is in operation, comprising: 
 first and second mass storage modules, each mass storage module including at least one storage device and at least one bypass circuit board associated with each storage device;    a module bypass circuit board including an optical input/output connector for outputting electrical signals from the module bypass circuit board as light signals and for inputting light signals into the module bypass circuit board as electrical signals, and wherein the first and second mass storage modules are connected to the module bypass circuit board by a fiber optic transmission medium such that signals are communicated between the first and second mass storage modules in the form of light; and    a controller managing a communication path between the first and second mass storage modules through the module bypass circuit board.    
   
   
       73 . A high speed mass storage system which is readily expandable to increase its storage capacity while the system is in operation, comprising: 
 a plurality of mass storage modules;    a module bypass circuit board including an optical input/output connector for outputting electrical signals from the module bypass circuit board as light signals and for inputting light signals into the module bypass circuit board as electrical signals, and wherein the plurality of mass storage modules are connected to the module bypass circuit board by a fiber optic transmission medium such that signals are communicated between the plurality of mass storage modules in the form of light.    
   
   
       74 . The high speed mass storage system of  claim 73 , wherein said optical input/output connector comprises an optoelectronic transceiver.  
   
   
       75 . A high speed mass storage system which is readily expandable to increase its storage capacity while the system is in operation, comprising: 
 first and second mass storage modules, each mass storage module including at least one storage device and at least one bypass circuit board associated with each storage device;    means for inputting and outputting light signals, said means for inputting and outputting light signals outputting electrical signals as light signals and for inputting light signals as electrical signals, and wherein the first and second mass storage modules are connected to the means for inputting and outputting light signals by a fiber optic transmission medium such that signals are communicated between the first and second mass storage modules in the form of light; and    means for managing a communication path between the first and second mass storage modules through the means for inputting and outputting light signals.    
   
   
       76 . The high speed mass storage system of  claim 75 , wherein said means for inputting and outputting light signals comprises an optoelectronic transceiver.  
   
   
       77 . A high speed mass storage system which is readily expandable to increase its storage capacity while the system is in operation, comprising: 
 a plurality of mass storage modules;    means for inputting and outputting light signals, said means for inputting and outputting light signals outputting electrical signals as light signals and inputting light signals as electrical signals, wherein the plurality of mass storage modules are connected to the means for inputting and outputting light signals by a fiber optic transmission medium such that signals are communicated between the plurality of mass storage modules in the form of light.    
   
   
       78 . The high speed mass storage system of  claim 77 , wherein said means for inputting and outputting light signals comprises an optoelectronic transceiver.